Tart enjoyed one of his better seasons in 2025, posting 32 tackles (the second-highest total of his career) and 4 pass deflections. He registered 12 run stops, a key factor in the Chargers’ decision to bring him back. In the playoffs, Tart delivered his best effort in the AFC wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, recording a sack, four tackles and a pass deflection. He previously signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal, making this extension nearly a tenfold raise. Since joining the Chargers, Tart has accumulated 61 tackles, a sack, an interception and two forced fumbles.
The extension comes as the Chargers’ defense enters a stretch of sustained strength. LA allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game and 20 points per game in 2025, while tying for the 10th-most sacks in the league, underscoring Tart’s value as a run defender and interior disruptor.
Offensively, the team is shifting as well, having hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as the next offensive coordinator. That change accompanies the front office’s broader focus on keeping core players in place for the 2026 season, with the defense remaining a cornerstone of their identity.
Defensively, Los Angeles is also navigating a coordinator transition. After Jesse Minter departed to become the Baltimore Ravens’ head coach on a four-year deal, the Chargers began a search for their next defensive playcaller. Reported candidates included former Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr, Rams assistant head coach and pass-game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant, and Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who later joined the New York Giants as their DC.
With Tart’s new contract locking in a key piece of the interior, the Chargers will look to pair him with incoming and returning talent as they complete their defensive leadership. The next defensive coordinator will need to maximize Tart’s impact and continue to sustain the unit’s high level of play while integrating the new leadership.
