Rick Lovato

Chargers Sign LS Rick Lovato To Active Roster

Rick Lovato is back on the Chargers active roster. The team announced that they’ve signed the long snapper to their 53-man squad.

The veteran actually hasn’t missed a game for the Chargers this season. He caught on with the team’s practice squad in late August as he filled in for an injured Josh Harris. He got a single promotion before earning an actual roster spot ahead of Week 2.

However, Lovato’s future in Los Angeles seemed to temporarily be in doubt after the team suddenly released him last week. This was presumably a way of opening a roster spot, with Lovato still sticking around the organization via his second practice squad pact. With the roster shuffling presumably finished, Lovato is once again a member of the 53, and he’ll likely keep the gig until Harris is ready to return from his undisclosed injury.

Lovato found a home in Philadelphia for nearly a decade, as the long snapper didn’t miss a game for the Eagles between 2017 and 2024. During that time, the Old Dominion product earned a pair of Super Bowl rings and a Pro Bowl nod in 2019. He had the distinction of being one of four Eagles to be rostered for both Super Bowl LII and Super Bowl LIX (along with Brandon Graham, Lane Johnson, and Jake Elliott).

Chargers Activate Khalil Mack, Denzel Perryman From IR

The Chargers are getting back a couple of key defenders for a Week 7 showdown with the Colts. The team announced that it has activated outside linebacker Khalil Mack and linebacker Denzel Perryman from injured reserve.

The Chargers have gone without Mack since he dislocated his elbow in a Week 2 win over the Raiders. He’ll return after sitting out the minimum of four games. The injury was a rare late-career setback for the nine-time Pro Bowler, who missed just one game during his first three years as a Charger.

A few weeks after Mack went down, the Chargers acquired OLB Odafe Oweh from the Ravens. Mack will now team with him for the first time and rejoin Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree to form a strong group of pass rushers. Despite Mack’s absence, the Chargers are tied for sixth in the league in sacks (16).

Perryman has barely been a factor this year after suffering a high ankle sprain in the Chargers’ season-opening win against the Chiefs. The 32-year-old played just eight defensive snaps in that game. Perryman has dealt with a laundry list of injuries throughout his career and never played more than 15 games in a season. Fortunately for the Chargers, they have a capable fallback option in Troy Dye, who worked as a starter alongside Daiyan Henley during Perryman’s IR stint. Dye has racked up 42 tackles and a sack while logging a 72.4% snap share.

Along with welcoming back Mack and Perryman, the Chargers made a few other moves on Saturday. They waived OLB Caleb Murphy, signed long snapper Rick Lovato to the practice squad and elevated him for Week 7, and elevated running back Nyheim Miller-Hines from the P-squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/25

Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the seventh weekend of the regular season:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers

The Broncos designated veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw for his eventual return to the active roster on Wednesday. It looks like one week of practice may have been all Denver needed to see. According to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette, Ehlinger’s release is designed to clear a spot for Greenlaw on the 53-man roster as he comes back from injured reserve. Ehlinger is expected to sign back with the team’s practice squad.

Chargers Place LB Denzel Perryman On IR

Denzel Perryman suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1, ensuring he would miss time. To little surprise, the veteran linebacker now finds himself on injured reserve.

Perryman was moved to IR on Monday, per a team announcement. Tonight’s matchup against the Raiders will mark the first of at least four games he will be required to miss.

The linebacker was limited to only eight defensive snaps in Week 1 before exiting the contest with his injury. The team kept the door open to a quick return, although the writing was on the wall when Perryman didn’t practice during the lead up to tonight’s matchup with the Raiders.

A former Chargers second-round pick, Perryman signed on for his second stint with the organization ahead of the 2024 campaign. He was limited to 11 games last year thanks to a handful of injuries, but he still managed to compile 55 tackles and one sack.

Troy Dye is likely to reprise his role as a starter at the second level of the team’s defense after filling in for Perryman in Week 1. The veteran started five games in 2024, and he finished his first season in Los Angeles with 57 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Marlowe Wax and Del’Shawn Phillips could also see an uptick in playing time while their teammate is sidelined.

The Chargers made a handful of additional moves ahead of their Week 2 contest. The team signed long snapper Rick Lovato to the 53-man roster, and they elevated both safety Tony Jefferson and linebacker Kana’i Mauga from the practice squad.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/5/25

Here are Friday’s minor transactions as we await Game 2 of the 2025 season, including today’s standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Chiefs and Chargers:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Each NFL team is granted two standard gameday practice squad elevations each game, allowing them to call up two members of their practice squad that are able to play in that weekend’s game. After the game is played, the elevated players revert back to the practice squad with no transaction required. This differs from a transaction like we saw earlier today wherein wide receiver Justin Shorter was signed to the Raiders’ active roster from their practice squad. He is now permanently on the team’s 53-man roster until they cut him or until his contract expires.

Practice squad players can be called up a maximum of three times under a single practice squad contract. If the team wants to call up a player who’s been called up three times already, team’s will usually sign the player to their active roster for a game, cut them after, and then sign them to a new practice squad contract. Under a new contract, the player would be eligible to be elevated for three more games.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BroncosChargersChiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.

Denver Broncos

Signed to practice squad:

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/24

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/21

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Claimed off waivers: QB Reid Sinnett (from Dolphins)
  • Waived: LS Rick Lovato

San Francisco 49ers

Eagles Extend LS Rick Lovato

A report surfaced Sunday indicating the Eagles were preparing to extend core players. While their long snapper might not qualify for such a label, that position is now locked down long-term.

The Eagles signed long snapper Rick Lovato to a four-year extension Tuesday. Although terms are not yet disclosed, the league’s 17 highest-paid long snappers earn between $1MM and $1.3MM annually. Lovato’s deal will undoubtedly fall in or around that price range.

After two seasons of part-time work with the Packers and Redskins, Lovato caught on with the Eagles in 2016 and became their full-time snapper in 2017. The Eagles used the Old Dominion alum as their deep snapper during their Super Bowl campaign and have deployed him in the same role since. Lovato, 27, is now signed through the 2023 season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/22/19

Today’s minor moves will be posted here:

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles locked up a pair of specialists today on one-year deals. Both Elliott and Lovato were exclusive-rights free agents, meaning they weren’t going anywhere and their re-signing was somewhat of a formality, as long as the Eagles wanted them back. Both players will now be restricted free agents next year.