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Elijah Molden

Chargers Promote S Tony Jefferson

September 18th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers promoted veteran safety Tony Jefferson from the practice squad to the active roster, per a team announcement.

In Week 2, Jefferson started in place of Elijah Molden, who was sidelined by a hamstring injury. Molden has yet to practice this week, so Jefferson will likely get the starting nod once again after a solid game on Sunday. He made five tackles, defended two passes, and reeled in an interception on a deep ball just before halftime.

Jefferson was still eligible for two elevations from the practice squad, but the Chargers had an open roster spot after placing Khalil Mack on injured reserve earlier this week. The team could move him back to the practice squad if needed, but more strong showings from Jefferson could keep him in the mix even when Molden returns to the field.

It’s another step in an impressive journey for the former UDFA just two years after he retired from the NFL nine seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Cardinals and Ravens. Jefferson took a scouting fellowship with the latter team after initially hanging up his cleats, but he launched a comeback in 2024. Los Angeles was a natural destination given his history with new Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, who came up in Baltimore’s front office and added several other former Ravens during his first year in charge.

The Chargers also signed outside linebackers Clelin Ferrell and Rashad Weaver to the practice squad. Ferrell never lived up to his billing as the No. 4 overall selection in 2019, but he has started 27 games over the last two years with a total of seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Weaver, originally a Titans fourth-round pick in 2021, put up 5.5 sacks in 2022 but was otherwise a rotational contributor during his time in Tennessee. He spent the 2024 season with the Texans, but only played 18 defensive snaps during the regular season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/20/25

July 20th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor NFL moves to close out the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Olajiga, a London native, joins the roster as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. The 27-year-old spent the 2024 season on the Rams’ practice squad as an IPP athlete, as well, but didn’t find his way to the field.

Keenum, Johnson, and Molden all passed physicals today, permitting their respective teams to active them off of their injured lists.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/14/25

July 14th, 2025 at 8:19pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

NFL teams are beginning to adjust their rosters as players report for training camp. Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Molden ended the 2024 season on injured reserve after suffering a broken fibula in Week 17. He re-signed with the Chargers this offseason and was expected to be ready for training camp after offseason surgery. However, his placement on the PUP list indicates that he needs more time before returning to the field. The reason for the other PUP placements is unknown, as teams are not required to report injuries during the offseason. The five Chargers placed on the PUP list can be activated at any time.

AFC West Rumors: Chiefs, Chargers, Miller

May 1st, 2025 at 12:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs took a gamble on injured tackle Josh Simmons, who saw a patellar tendon tear ding his draft stock a bit. The Ohio State standout went down six games into the season, and some debate existed going into the draft about his availability for the season. Simmons said (via The Athletic’s Mike Jones) a July return point, potentially in time for training camp, is expected. The Chiefs have doubled up on tackles this offseason, adding Simmons after giving Jaylon Moore a two-year, $30MM deal in the early hours of the legal tampering period. Kansas City, which used four LT starters last season before its makeshift setup unraveled in the Super Bowl, has seen extensive turnover here since Eric Fisher‘s 2020 AFC championship game injury. If Simmons makes his way to the LT role early, it is worth wondering the team’s Moore plan.

Andy Reid said the Chiefs view Moore as capable of playing multiple O-line positions. Seeing as Moore has never played a guard snap in the NFL, this would mean those positions are LT and RT. Jawaan Taylor has underwhelmed at RT, becoming known for penalties and a phantom start that could draw more. The Chiefs guaranteed Taylor’s $20MM 2025 compensation in 2024, but Moore could potentially compete with the free agency miss this offseason. For now, Moore appears to be a Chiefs stopgap at left tackle.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

Chargers Re-Sign DB Elijah Molden

February 20th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Being traded to the Chargers shortly before last season, Elijah Molden became one of the pieces that helped Jesse Minter‘s defense climb to No. 1. The Bolts will keep this partnership going.

Molden is staying in Los Angeles via a new three-year contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The second-generation NFL DB was on the verge of free agency, but the Chargers evidently made him a good enough offer to pass on the open market. The team has since announced the move.

The deal is worth $18.75MM and includes $13.5MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. This checks in just north of the contract fellow Bolts safety Alohi Gilman signed last March, as the Chargers continue to commit resources to the safety position.

The son of former Chargers cornerback Alex Molden, Elijah arrived as a late-August trade acquisition from the Titans. The sent only a 2026 seventh-round pick for the contract-year player, who made Tennessee’s 53-man roster but did not stay long after that deadline. Molden, however, showed growth in L.A. and helped the team rebound to make the playoffs.

Seeing more time at safety, the former Titans cornerback joined Gilman and Derwin James in Minter’s three-safety looks and finished the season with a career-high three interceptions. Molden, 26, also deflected a career-best seven passes while eclipsing his previous best with 75 tackles as well. Grading him much better against the pass than the run, Pro Football Focus tabbed the former third-round pick as the No. 16 overall safety last season.

The Chargers obtained two ex-Titan DB pieces last year, signing Kristian Fulton as well. Molden had joined Fulton as a Day 2 pick during former Tennessee GM Jon Robinson‘s tenure, which was filled with lofty CB investments that did not ultimately satisfy the organization. Although Molden was a regular who saw extensive time in the slot while in Nashville, he topped out at a 68% snap share during his three seasons there. After playing 15 games with the Titans in 2023, a new coaching staff signed off on dealing him. That trade ultimately sent the 5-foot-10 defender to a team that had longer-term plans for him.

This deal comes weeks after Molden suffered a season-ending broken fibula. His absence certainly hurt in a one-sided wild-card loss to the Texans. In signing him weeks before free agency, the Chargers clearly have no concerns Molden will be ready well before next season. This deal also gives the Bolts three veteran contracts at safety, with James still the league’s second-highest-paid player at the position and Gilman having been re-signed (on a two-year, $10.13MM deal) early in Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure.

The respective free agencies of Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. leave the Bolts with some questions to answer at corner, but they are loaded up at safety ahead of the Harbaugh-Minter combo’s second season. Molden, who joined the Chargers 23 years after his father’s two-season San Diego stay wrapped, will keep going in Minter’s system as the Bolts attempt to hold off the Broncos and mount a legitimate challenge to the Chiefs in the AFC West next season.

Khalil Mack Chargers’ Top FA Priority?

January 16th, 2025 at 2:49pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers are set to have 30 players hit unrestricted free agency, including several starters on both sides of the ball.

Their biggest pending free agent is Khalil Mack, who is mulling retirement after his 11th NFL season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz both recently expressed their desire to re-sign the All-Pro edge rusher, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.

“I don’t know if it’s possible to get everybody back, but I wanna get as darn close as possible,” said Harbaugh, “and nobody more than Khalil Mack.”

However, the Chargers are unlikely to keep both Mack and Joey Bosa, who combined for just 11 sacks in the regular season. Los Angeles already has Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree on affordable contracts for the 2025 season, and Bosa’s cap hit is set to jump to $36.5MM. Cutting him would save $25.4MM, enough money to re-sign Mack and add talent elsewhere on the roster.

Mack agreed to restructure his contract with the Chargers to save cap space ahead of the 2024 season, but his void years will still result in a $8.9MM dead cap hit in 2025. Money will play a role in Mack’s decision, as will his desire to be on a contender.

Despite their first-round playoff exit, that label seems to still apply to the Chargers. They have their franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert and a championship culture-setter in Harbaugh, who led the team to a seven-win improvement in his debut season. His ability to form strong relationships with his players has led several to publicly state a desire to stay in Los Angeles.

Among them are running back J.K. Dobbins (via team editorial director Eric Smith), safety Elijah Molden (via Rhim), and defensive tackle Poona Ford (via Rhim). All three arrived in Los Angeles last offseason and quickly bought into Harbaugh’s culture.

Dobbins averaged just under 70 rushing yards per game with nine touchdowns on a one-year, $1.61MM deal with just $50k in fully guaranteed money. Crucially, after losing most of the last three years to injury, he appeared in 13 games – his most since his rookie year – and came back from a monthlong absence to play the Chargers’ last three games of the season. He’ll be looking for a pay increase after outperforming fellow former Raven Gus Edwards with a team-leading 905 rushing yards (4.6 per carry) and nine touchdowns.

Molden broke his leg in the Week 17, but recorded career-highs in starts (12), tackles (75), interceptions (three), and passes defended (seven) as a crucial part of Los Angeles’ defense. With his rookie contract expiring, Molden will be looking to catch the rising tide of safety contracts after Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s market-resetting deal last offseason.

Like Dobbins, Ford took a “prove it” deal with the Chargers and will be looking to cash in after outperforming his $1.8MM earnings. He anchored the L.A. run defense while adding three sacks, five passes defended, and the first interception of his career.

Another candidate to return to the Chargers is veteran safety Tony Jefferson, who came out of a retirement scouting gig with the Ravens to join several former coaches and teammates in Los Angeles. Jefferson revealed that he trained for just eight weeks before his tryout with the Chargers; now, he will have a full offseason to physically and mentally for the 2025 season, whether he re-signs with the Chargers or lands elsewhere.

The Chargers are currently projected to have $73.2MM in 2025 cap space, so they have plenty of money to re-sign their pending free agents. However, their need to upgrade at wide receiver will likely divert a large chunk of that money, especially if they pursue a player like Tee Higgins at the top of the market.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 7:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown

Los Angeles Chargers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Chargers’ Elijah Molden Out For Season

December 28th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers clinched a playoff berth with a 40-7 romp of the Patriots on Saturday, but their victory came at a price. Defensive back Elijah Molden suffered a broken fibula that will end his 2024 season, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Molden was inactive in Week 16 due to a knee injury but returned to the lineup on Saturday with no injury designation. The former Washington Husky went down in the third quarter against New England and had to be carted off the field.

Molden joined the Chargers in August via trade from the Titans. Tennessee received a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for their 2021 third-rounder, who appeared in 33 games with 16 starts in his first three seasons, mostly as a slot corner.

Molden switched to safety in Los Angeles and emerged as a solid contributor on defense, playing 729 snaps over the team’s first fourteen games. He already reached career-highs with three interceptions and seven passes defended heading into Week 16, and his four tackles on Saturday brought him to 75 on the season, another personal record.

Now, Molden will have to watch the Chargers’ playoff run from the sidelines as he begins the recovery process for his broken leg. That rehab will also impact his market as an unrestricted free agent after this season. A return to Los Angeles would make sense after he smoothly acclimated to Jesse Minter’s defense despite joining the team just before the regular season started.

Titans To Trade Elijah Molden To Chargers

August 28th, 2024 at 7:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:35pm: The Titans are receiving a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for Molden, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Chargers have since announced that the trade is official.

3:00pm: Another trade will come to pass a day after the 53-man deadline. Following the Saints-Commanders John Ridgeway swap, the Chargers are adding a cornerback from the Titans.

Tennessee is sending Elijah Molden to Los Angeles, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Titans, whose Ernest Jones trade just became official, are expected to acquire a late-round pick for Molden, who is going into a contract year.

The Titans made two big-ticket cornerback investments this offseason, signing Chidobe Awuzie and reaching a tag-and-trade agreement with the Chiefs to bring in L’Jarius Sneed. With Roger McCreary still in the fold, Tennessee is moving on from another homegrown cover man. The team cut former first-rounder Caleb Farley on Tuesday.

As Dennard Wilson‘s defense continues to see changes, the Chargers are adding another corner from the Mike Vrabel–Shane Bowen era. The Bolts agreed to terms with Kristian Fulton in March. Molden and Fulton played together for three years, with the former spending time in the slot early in his career. McCreary mans the slot in Tennessee and will be set to work alongside Sneed and Awuzie. With Molden a 2025 free agent-to-be, the Titans will acquire an asset for a player no longer in their plans.

Molden, 25, started 16 games with the Titans; eight came last season, when he played a career-high 701 defensive snaps. The Titans benched Fulton and did not have Farley’s services throughout the season. During seven of Molden’s eight starts last year, he played 100% of Tennessee’s defensive snaps. The Washington alum also saw time at safety, increasing Bolts DC Jesse Minter‘s options. Though, the Chargers have locked-in safety starters in Derwin James and Alohi Gilman.

Also transitioning to a new scheme, the Chargers have J.C. Jackson dead money on their books and are keeping costs low at corner. Fulton signed a one-year, $3.13MM. Molden remains on his third-round salary, with Asante Samuel Jr. joining him in a contract year. Samuel has played in the slot and outside in L.A. The former second-rounder, who joins Molden in being a second-generation NFL corner, is expected to play on the outside across from Fulton. Ja’Sir Taylor has been the Bolts’ slot; Molden would stand to push the converted safety.

While Asante Samuel Sr. played with the Patriots and Eagles, Molden’s father (Alex) nearly overlapped with Jim Harbaugh in San Diego. For what it’s worth, the Chargers signed the former first-round pick just after Harbaugh’s contract expired. A younger Molden will join the team his father played for from 2001-02, with a chance at using the season as a springboard to free agency.

Titans CB Elijah Molden Returns To IR; Two Others Designated For Return

December 7th, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Ely Allen

After only appearing in two games this year, it seems like the sophomore season for Titans cornerback Elijah Molden has come to an end, according to TitanInsider.com publisher Terry McCormick. The 23-year-old had been activated to return from injured reserve a little under a month ago but will head back to IR as his injuries continue to drag him down.

Molden had come on strong in his rookie season, earning a starting role by Week 6 last year and holding onto the job throughout the season. In his starting duties, Molden racked up 62 total tackles, four passes defensed, and one interception, adding two more tackles in a postseason start against the Bengals.

Molden was placed on IR during the preseason after missing several practices with a nagging groin injury. He wasn’t able to make his 2022 season debut until a Week 9 start against the Broncos. After he was unable to play the following week, his season ended, for the second time in a row, with a loss to the Bengals.

The Titans have been absolutely ravaged with injuries this season. Adding Molden to the list of players on IR extends the NFL-leading number of players on IR from 15 to 16. This includes injuries to fellow cornerbacks Caleb Farley, Chris Jackson, and Lonnie Johnson. With starter Kristian Fulton and Tre Avery questionable to start the week, the bruised Titans secondary may be facing Trevor Lawrence this weekend with only three healthy cornerbacks. The team also recently added cornerback John Reid from the Falcons practice squad for some added depth. It’s no wonder, with this many injuries, that Tennessee ranks 31st this year in pass defense.

Now, due to an updated NFL rule, Molden has the ability to return from IR a second time this season if he can get healthy. The rule says that a player can be designated to return a maximum of two times in a season with both activations counting against the teams eight allowed designations. The Titans, who have had plenty of options throughout their injury-riddled season, only have two activations remaining this year and have already designated wide receiver Racey McMath and defensive back Josh Thompson to return. It Tennessee truly intends to bring back McMath and Thompson, it will use up the last of their allowable designations.

If one of the two doesn’t return, and remains on IR for the remainder of the season, that could open the door for a second Molden return. The question of whether or not he could get healthy enough to return is an important one and, if any hints are to be taken from McCormick’s tweet, the answer is probably “no” as McCormick very plainly stated that “his season is over.” A Molden return wouldn’t be able to occur until Week 18 of the season, if it were to happen at all.

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