Luke Grimm

Chargers Sign S Marcus Williams

More than seven months after the Ravens released Marcus Williams, the veteran safety has secured his first post-Baltimore gig. The Chargers are signing the longtime starter to their practice squad, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

The Ravens designated Williams a post-June 1 cut this offseason, having demoted him during what became a disappointing tenure. Chargers GM Joe Hortiz was in Baltimore when the team signed Williams back in 2022, and after sending Alohi Gilman to the Ravens in the trade for Odafe Oweh, the Bolts will take a flier on Williams. This addition also comes as questions surround Derwin James‘ near-future availability after a Week 8 injury.

Los Angeles is also adding defensive tackle Kyle Peko to its practice squad and releasing running back Nyheim Miller-Hines from the 16-man unit. Williams joins ex-Ravens safety Tony Jefferson among the Bolts’ back-line crew. The Bolts also released wide receiver Luke Grimm from their P-squad, per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim.

This signing comes after Williams took part in a Chargers workout late last week. The Bolts also auditioned Marcus Maye, Lewis Cine and ex-Raven Daryl Worley, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Maye was an in-season Chargers addition last year, while Worley was part of many Ravens transactions in recent years. This could have been an 11th team for Worley, but instead it will be Williams receiving the opportunity.

Baltimore could not count on Williams, who signed a five-year deal worth $70MM as a 2022 free agent. Injuries and shaky play defined the ex-Saints draftee’s Maryland stay. The Ravens benched Williams midway through last season and made him a healthy scratch down the stretch. Acquired weeks before the Kyle Hamilton pick, Williams could not justify his $14MM-per-year contract. The Ravens reworked the deal in January to precede a release. Although Williams met with the Panthers and Steelers this offseason, no deal came to pass. He will now accept a practice squad invite.

A Saints standout who drew a franchise tag in 2021, Williams is now 29. He has made 106 career starts. Known partially for a mishap on the Vikings’ Minneapolis Miracle play, Williams was a key part of the Saints’ late-2010s resurgence — an ascent largely keyed by the team’s 2017 draft class. He has 20 career INTs. While his recent play left much to be desired, the former second-round pick will provide experienced depth behind James, Jefferson and Elijah Molden. James, though, is not certain to play in Week 9 due to a sprained ankle suffered against the Vikings. Williams stands to provide some insurance in case James misses time.

Peko also worked out for the Bolts last week, per Wilson, who adds Raekwon Davis participated as well. Davis has been out of football since the Colts cut him this offseason. The defensive tackle signed with Indianapolis in 2024. Peko, 32, has played for five teams in nine seasons.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/31/25

Here are Sunday’s only practice squad transactions to close out the final weekend of 2025 without NFL football:

Los Angeles Chargers

Philadelphia Eagles

The Chargers brought two undrafted rookies onto their practice squad, making space by letting go of Barnhart and putting the veteran, Reagor, on the injured list. Barnhart started three positions on the Wolverines offensive line during Michigan’s championship season but went undrafted and failed to appear in an NFL game as a rookie last year.

Johnson rushed for over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final year at South Dakota State. Grimm was the top receiver at Kansas last year after averaging 623 receiving yards and six touchdowns over his last three seasons for the Jayhawks.

Chargers Place LB Junior Colson On IR; Taylor Heinicke Among Team’s Cuts

The Chargers placed a key defender on season-ending IR and made a quarterback decision. Here are the Bolts’ moves to reach the 53-man roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (return designation):

It is not known what injury Colson suffered — teams do not have to disclose injuries until Week 1 — but this is a significant setback for the former Jim Harbaugh Michigan pupil. Colson entered training camp with a chance to earn the starting linebacker job alongside Daiyan Henley; instead, he will miss the season. Harris and Leonard will be eligible to return from IR after four games; their IR-return placements drop the Bolts’ injury activation count from eight to six.

It is possible the Chargers circle back to Heinicke, who is a vested veteran. A practice squad stashing could make sense, but Trey Lance is also a vested veteran now. The Bolts are keeping the former No. 3 overall pick on their 53-man roster, while Heinicke’s status is uncertain. The Chargers re-signed Heinicke to a one-year, $2.5MM deal. They are positioned to eat $2MM in dead money due to the guarantees given to their 2024 backup.

Chargers Announce 18 UDFA Signings

After adding nine players throughout this weekend’s draft, the Chargers still had plenty of room for rookie additions. Los Angeles announced their 18-man undrafted free agent signing class shortly after the event closed, disclosing these players as signees:

After slightly favoring offense (five players to four on defense) during the draft, Los Angeles evens things out by favoring the defense (10:8) in the undrafted class, giving them 13 offensive rookies and 14 defensive rookies in 2025.

Once heralded as the quarterback of the future set to take over the Clemson program after Trevor Lawrence, Uiagalelei ends up in Los Angeles after stops with Oregon State and the Seminoles. Sanders was expected to be a late-Day 3 selection. Sanders rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 for Arkansas before injuries limited him in 2023. He transferred to South Carolina and tallied 881 yards and 11 scores on the ground, adding 316 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air.

The team loaded up on flyers in the secondary this year. After drafting safeties with each of their last two picks, the Chargers added one more in free agency and signed four undrafted cornerbacks. Reed is maybe the most capable of the group. One of Deion Sanders‘ cast-outs at Colorado, Reed transferred to Oregon for two strong years, collecting 26 passes defensed and five interceptions in his four years of college. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Reed’s UDFA contract includes $100K of base salary guaranteed plus a $15K signing bonus.