Nasir Adderley

Former Chargers S Nasir Adderley Retires

Nasir Adderley‘s rookie contract expired yesterday, leaving him eligible to sign with any team to begin the next chapter of his career. Instead, the 25-year-old safety announced (via Instagram) on Thursday that he is retiring from the NFL.

Adderley joined the Chargers as second-round pick in 2019. He was limited by injury to just four games played as a rookie, but remained mostly healthy beyond that point. He was a full-time starter over the past three regular seasons, though he did not start Los Angeles’ playoff loss to the Jaguars. Adderley appeared in a total of 51 games in the NFL.

“After a period of self-reflection, I have decided it’s time for me to walk away from the game of football,” his announcements reads. “Over the past couple of years I have denied this realization, but I’m finally going to put myself first for once. My health is above everything.

“It has been a dream come true to play in the NFL and have the opportunity to play for the Chargers organization. I believe I have yet to scratch the surface of the player I could be, but if it’s at the expense of my peace of mind then it’s no longer for me.”

The Delaware product racked up 232 tackles during his time with the Chargers, adding three interceptions and 12 pass deflections. His coverage statistics improved over each of the past three years, suggesting he could have remained an effective member of Los Angeles’ (or another team’s) secondary for at least the short-term future. Instead, he will now positively reflect on his relatively brief NFL tenure.

“It’s been a joy to create such amazing relationships,” he wrote in his statement. “Words can’t express how much love and gratitude I have for you all.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/21

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Damon Hazelton
  • Waived: CB Dominique Martin

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Chargers Activate T Russell Okung

Russell Okung is set to make his season debut Sunday. The Chargers activated their top tackle and placed rookie safety Nasir Adderley on IR.

Okung battled blood clot issues for several weeks and began this season on the Bolts’ NFI list. After returning to practice earlier this month, the 10th-year left tackle will soon be back in action. This represents some rare good news for the Chargers on the injury front.

The Bolts have used second-year UDFA Trent Scott at left tackle in all seven games this season. Okung, 32, obviously represents a notable upgrade and will begin his third season in this post. The former top-10 pick started 15 games for each of the past two Chargers teams, making the Pro Bowl in 2017. His return comes for a Chargers team that’s been ravaged by injuries at nearly every position, helping lead to a 2-5 start.

A second-round pick, Adderley only played 10 defensive snaps this season. The Delaware product has missed the past three Bolts games. He has dealt with a hamstring injury and will now have the chance to rehab and prepare for his sophomore NFL campaign. Adderley will join fellow safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips on IR. Both are candidates to return this season, James in particular.

Chargers Sign Second-Round S Nasir Adderley

The Chargers have signed second-round safety Nasir Adderley, the club announced today.

Adderley will join 2018 first-round pick and first-team All-Pro Derwin James in Los Angeles’ defensive backfield, joining an excellent secondary that also includes safety Adrian Phillips and cornerbacks Casey Hayward, Desmond King, and Trevor Williams. The 60th overall pick in the draft, Adderley will attempt to replace the 1,000+ snaps departed by Jahleel Addae, whom the Chargers released earlier this year.

Adderley, a Delaware product, will likely play a center field-type role for Los Angeles, allowing James to be deployed closer to the line of scrimmage. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com praised Adderley’s speed, noting that trait will allow the two-time All-CAA honoree to play in single-high safety looks, and compared him to second-year Bengals starter Jessie Bates.

Per Over the Cap, Adderley will receive a four-year pact worth roughly $4.732MM. He’ll collect a signing bonus of ~$1.462MM, and count for $860K on Los Angeles’ 2019 salary cap.

Here’s the full Chargers 2019 draft: