The Chargers are beginning to fill out Mike McDaniel‘s offensive staff, starting together with his offensive line coach.
Butch Barry, who spent the last three years because the Dolphins’ offensive line coach, will take up the identical position in Los Angeles, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. Barry previously worked with McDaniel because the 49ers’ assistant offensive line coach during McDaniel’s final season in San Francisco
In Miami, Barry worked closely with left tackle Patrick Paul and center Aaron Brewer in Miami, with each making noticeable improvements from 2024 to 2025, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Before that, he served because the Broncos’ offensive line coach in 2023 after a two-year stint in San Francisco.
Barry is replacing veteran offensive line coach Mike Devlin, who worked with the Jets’, Texans’ and Ravens’ offensive lines. Devlin worked under Greg Roman in Baltimore in 2022 and joined his staff in Los Angeles in 2024. The Chargers had probably the greatest tackle duos within the NFL in 2024, but when each Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt suffered season-ending injuries this past season, the remainder of the O-line was badly exposed. The inside spots – primarily held by Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, and Mekhi Becton – were already shaky, and losing one of the best bookends within the league proved an excessive amount of to get well from. The Chargers allowed 60 sacks, the second-most of any team in 2025, and Justin Herbert suffered just a few injuries because of this.
Barry can be tasked with improving the unit, which can prove difficult immediately. The Chargers haven’t provided a timeline for Slater’s return, however the severity of his injury – a torn patellar tendon – could put his availability for 2026 doubtful. Alt’s timeline is similarly unclear, but his recovery from surgery to repair a high ankle sprain shouldn’t take as long. Alt can hold down the blind side until Slater gets back on the sphere, but Los Angeles will still need a right tackle during that period. They might also change out multiple interior offensive linemen – potentially all three – which is able to require Barry to discover and coach up replacements who slot in McDaniel’s scheme.