San Diego Chargers left guard Chad Rinehart (78) defends against Oakland Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston (99) during the first half at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Chargers have been doing a great job of keeping their own free agents this offseason, as they quickly re-signed their priority in linebacker Donald Butler and also re-signed special teams ace and backup safety Darrell Stuckey. Starting guard Chad Rinehart, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, was third in-line to receive a new deal from the Chargers brass, and the team has announced that Rinehart has been officially re-signed.
Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego reports that it’s a two-year deal for the 28-year-old, and it is definitely unsurprising to hear that Rinehart will be sticking around for a couple of more years. He’s an average starter at the guard position, and it’s one less position the Chargers will have to worry about this offseason. Tom Telesco has another busy offseason ahead of him, as he’ll look to improve a roster that slipped into the playoffs during the first year of his very successful rebuild. The Chargers need major help on defense, so re-signing Rinehart allows them to focus on that side of the ball (upgrades at corner are obviously a must).
The Chargers were always expected to re-sign him, especially since they didn’t exactly have many other priorities hitting the free agent market this offseason.