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Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

Chargers Re-Sign QB Taylor Heinicke

March 13th, 2025 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Taylor Heinicke is sticking in Los Angeles for at least one more season. The quarterback has signed a one-year deal with the Chargers, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. The deal is worth up to $6.2MM.

Heinicke made a name for himself in 2021, when he guided the Commanders to a 7-8 record in his 15 starts. Despite his solid showing, he entered the 2022 campaign as a backup to Carson Wentz. Predictably, the new starter eventually went down with an injury, allowing Heinicke to start another nine games for Washington.

After finishing his Commanders stint with 33 touchdowns vs. 21 interceptions, he inked a two-year contract with his hometown Falcons ahead of the 2023 season. The free agent addition was expected to provide former third-round pick Desmond Ridder with some competition, but Heinicke got only four starts for Atlanta, going 1-3 while completing a career-low 54.4 percent of his passes.

The veteran took a pay cut from $5MM to $1.21MM to stick in Atlanta for 2024, but in the meantime, he was pushed further down the depth chart following the additions of Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.. As a result, Heinicke found himself on the trade block, and he was dealt to the Chargers for a conditional seventh-round pick before the start of the 2024 regular season.

Justin Herbert was limited to 13 games in 2023, but the Chargers franchise QB managed to get into all 17 games for his squad in 2024. As a result, the new backup was limited to only four appearances and five pass attempts. The organization is surely hoping for similar usage in 2025, but they can rest easy knowing they have a former starter locked in as their QB2.

Chargers To Sign DLs Da’Shawn Hand, Naquan Jones

March 13th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chargers have agreed to terms with a pair of defensive linemen. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Chargers have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $3.35MM with defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand. Meanwhile, agent Mike McCartney announced that Naquan Jones has also agreed to a one-year deal with the organization.

Hand brings some veteran experience to Los Angeles, although he’s settled into a backup role at this point. The journeyman bounced around the league a bit to begin his career, but he found some stability in Miami over the past two seasons.

He got into 33 games for the Dolphins between 2023 and 2024, collecting 48 tackles and two sacks. After getting into only 19 percent of his team’s defensive snaps during his first season with the organization, he saw that number jump to 53 percent in 2024. In total, Hand has appeared in 64 career games, collecting 102 tackles and five sacks.

Jones is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career. The defensive lineman got into 12 games for the Cardinals last year, finishing with 27 tackles and a career-high three sacks. His 260 defensive snaps represented his highest total since his rookie campaign with the Titans in 2021.

The Chargers have been in the market for some reinforcement in the trenches after losing Poona Ford to the Rams earlier this week. The team is still rostering Teair Tart, Otito Ogbonnia, and Scott Matlock for some bulk on the defensive line, but the team’s two newest additions should be able to carve out their own roles in 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/25

March 12th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the minor moves from the first day of the 2025 league year:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Yes, a few of these players have graduated from our minor-moves sector, but today’s signing blitz being what it was, they land here. Ford highlights the batch contractually, agreeing (per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) to a two-year, $4MM deal. Ford played on more than 70% of Cleveland’s special teams snaps over the past two seasons.

Trask will reprise his role as Baker Mayfield‘s backup, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the former second-round pick is staying on a one-year, $2.79MM contract. Trask and Mayfield competed for the job in 2023, but as was the case with the Drew Lock–Geno Smith battle a year prior, the winner never looked back. Trask will be in place for a fifth Bucs season, having moved from third-stringer during the Tom Brady era to QB2 in the Mayfield years.

Hawkins will stay with the Patriots on a two-year deal worth up to $2.2MM, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. A 2022 full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins saw Jessie Bates replace him in 2023. The Falcons later waived Hawkins, who ended up on the Chargers in 2023. The Pats used him as a seven-game starter in 2024, when he made 48 tackles (three for loss).

WR Mike Williams Returning To Chargers

March 12th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers are bringing in some help at wide receiver while bringing back a familiar face in veteran wide receiver Mike Williams, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports.

After one year away from the team, Williams will return to where he’s spent seven years of his NFL career. Williams’ deal is reportedly for one year and worth up to $6MM. The Bolts are reuniting with a player they cut amid a cap crunch last year, but Williams’ value has trended downward since.

Dangling Williams, Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Keenan Allen in trades, the Chargers regrouped with Mack and Bosa — via pay cuts — and traded Allen. Williams ended up with the Jets after his release but did not prove a fit in New York. Seeing two-time Aaron Rodgers teammate Allen Lazard hold a bigger role in the Jets’ offense, Williams languished and only put up 166 yards on 12 catches. A slip that led to a late-game Rodgers interception during a narrow Monday-night loss to the Bills — after which the QB was critical of the WR — appeared to seal Williams’ fate, and the Jets dealt him to the Steelers at the deadline.

Williams, 30, did not impress in Pittsburgh, either. He caught just nine passes in nine games. Other than a game-winning TD grab against Washington, Williams did not move the needle for the then-WR-needy Steelers. They have since traded for D.K. Metcalf, making it clear Williams would move on. The Chargers, however, were loosely connected to showing interest at last year’s deadline. While they did not acquire a receiver then, their outlook has changed since Josh Palmer‘s Buffalo defection.

Palmer, whose role diminished a bit as last year’s Bolts committed more to the run, signed a $12MM-per-year Bills deal to give the Bolts a clear need alongside Ladd McConkey. The Chargers will hope Williams can provide some production on the boundary to complement their new No. 1 target, who does his best work as an inside threat. Williams may not check off every box for the L.A. passing game, but he has a history of production with the team.

The former No. 7 overall Chargers draftee has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume (2019, 2021). He led the league with 20.4 yards per catch in ’19 and was used more as a midrange weapon in ’21. Helping Justin Herbert grow into a high-end QB, Williams teamed with Allen for seven seasons and fetched a three-year, $60MM Chargers deal just before the WR boom in 2022 transformed that market. Williams’ 2023 ACL tear damaged his stock, and it came after a back injury — sustained in a meaningless Week 18 loss to the Broncos — occurred to close out his previous season.

This coming campaign may be his last chance to bounce back. Soon to be two years removed from the September 2023 tear, Williams will now be a McConkey sidekick to help Herbert in the QB’s sixth season at the controls.

Ely Allen contributed to this post

Chargers To Add CB Benjamin St-Juste

March 12th, 2025 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

At the same time the Commanders were adding Jonathan Jones, they will say farewell to a four-year cornerback contributor. Benjamin St-Juste is heading elsewhere.

The Chargers are signing the former Washington Day 2 draftee, according to his agent. The Bolts lost 2024 starter Kristian Fulton to the Chiefs this week, while Asante Samuel Jr. is unsigned. After St-Juste made his way south from Montreal in 2021, he will head west to a retooling Chargers corner corps.

St-Juste saw more time on the perimeter than inside last season, marking a change for a player who logged 332 slot snaps in 2023. The 6-foot-3 defender has a frame more suited for the outside, also going 200 pounds, and Washington’s new staff used him almost exclusively on the boundary in 2024. The results were not great, however.

While Pro Football Focus graded St-Juste as a bottom-five cornerback last season, Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics charged him with four touchdowns allowed as the closest defender and having regressed in completion percentage and passer rating allowed. The Commanders benched St-Juste in Week 16 and only used him on 24 total playoff snaps. In 2022 and ’23, however, St-Juste allowed 87.1 and 87.3 passer ratings as the closest defender. In 2022, he impressed by yielding a paltry 47.7% completion rate. The Commanders boasted a top-10 defense that year but cratered in the Ron Rivera-Jack Del Rio finale a year later.

The Commanders have in-season trade pickup Marshon Lattimore signed, and the team used a second-round pick to nab Mike Sainristil last year. Although Noah Igbinoghene is a free agent, Jones has extensive experience playing inside and outside. He is leaving the Patriots after 10 seasons.

Jesse Minter transformed a defense that ranked outside the top 20 throughout Brandon Staley’s tenure into one that led the league in yards allowed. The Bolts have now added St-Juste and Donte Jackson; the veteran duo will join promising rookie Tarheeb Still among L.A. CBs.

Chargers To Re-Sign LB Denzel Perryman

March 12th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Denzel Perryman served as a full-time starter in 2024, his return season with the Chargers. The veteran linebacker will remain in place for 2025.

Perryman plans to re-sign on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. This will be a $3.65MM pact. The former Pro Bowler was limited to 11 games last season, but he operated as a key figure on defense during that time while also chipping in on special teams.

Perryman began his career with the Chargers as a second-round pick out of Miami while the team was still in San Diego. Injuries were a limiting factor for Perryman back then, as well, as he only played in 69 of a possible 96 games in his six seasons with the team.

Perryman departed Los Angeles in 2021 as a free agent, signing with the Panthers, but he was traded to Las Vegas before the season even started. With the Raiders that season, Perryman had the healthiest season of his career, starting in all 15 game appearances.

Finally able to put together a full season, Perryman showed what he could do when healthy, earning his first and only Pro Bowl selection with 154 total tackles (6th in the league that season). Despite only appearing in 12 games the next year, Perryman put forth another strong performance, with 83 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. He signed a one-year deal to join the Texans in 2023, starting 11 of 12 game appearances for the second straight year.

Last season, he made his return to Southern California. In his age-32 season, Perryman’s contributions were average as he served more importantly as a veteran leader for young linebackers like Troy Dye and Daiyan Henley. Dye joins Perryman as a re-signed linebacker, while Nick Niemann departed for Houston in free agency and Shaquille Quarterman, another depth/special teams piece is a free agent, as well. Henley and Perryman should continue to work as starters with Dye spelling Perryman in obvious pass situations.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Chargers Re-Sign LB Troy Dye, WR Jalen Reagor

March 12th, 2025 at 12:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers are re-signing veteran linebacker Troy Dye, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Dye’s contract is worth $5.5MM over two years with a maximum value of $8.5MM with incentives, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. Multiple other teams were interested, but Dye opted to stay on the West Coast after growing up in California and playing college football at Oregon.

Dye appeared in all 17 games (five starts) for the Chargers in 2024 with a rotational role on defense and an 80% snap share on special teams. He finished the season with career-highs of 57 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two tackles for loss.

The 28-year-old was originally a fourth-round pick by the Vikings in 2020. He primarily played special teams in Minnesota with eight starts on defense across four years. He signed a one-year, $1.79MM deal with the Chargers in 2024 and is now under contract with the team through the 2026 season.

The Chargers also announced the re-signing of wide receiver Jalen Reagor. The 26-year-old appeared in eight games with seven receptions for 100 yards, but could be in line for a bigger role in 2025 after the departure of Josh Palmer.

Reagor was an Eagles first-round pick in 2020 who struggled to live up to his draft billing in Philadelphia. He was traded to the Vikings ahead of the 2022 season and waived after another disappointing year. Reagor spent 2023 with the Patriots, but couldn’t make the 53-man roster in 2024. He then joined the Chargers’ practice squad in September and was promoted to the active roster in November.

Chargers To Sign RB Najee Harris

March 11th, 2025 at 8:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 11: In terms of base value, Harris will be tied to $5.25MM in 2025, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. Incentives cover the rest of the contract. While this is more than the Chargers gave Dobbins last year, it certainly checks in as less than Harris was expected to command.

MARCH 10: The Chargers’ rumored interest in Najee Harris will produce an agreement. After four Steelers seasons, Harris is heading west on a one-year deal.

Harris will sign with Los Angeles’ AFC team on a contract worth up to $9.5MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. A Bolts team that cut Gus Edwards and has not re-signed J.K. Dobbins will turn to Harris, who was the Steelers’ starting RB in each of their games since 2021.

This agreement comes hours after the Steelers placed a second-round RFA tender on Jaylen Warren. This will make the Harris three-year Harris change-of-pace option harder to pry away, but the Steelers will be in the running back market again now. Although the team was not believed to be out on Harris, not picking up his fifth-year option in 2024 provided a decent indication a 2025 separation would be acceptable.

A 2021 first-round pick out of Miami, Harris has played through injuries to start every game in his four-year career. After a 1,200-yard rookie season, Harris finished with 1,034, 1,035 and 1,043. Oozing consistency, Harris also does not bring much flash. Next Gen Stats rated him in the bottom third in rush yards over expected in 2022 and ’24, though the metric was oddly bullish on the between-the-tackles grinder in 2023.

Harris, 27, may well have a skillset that appears to Jim Harbaugh. The team did not see much from the player it previously sought as its power back — Edwards — but a newly run-oriented Bolts operation could generate plenty from Harris in 2025. Harris needing one-year deal does not bode well for his future value, however. Already accumulating 1,097 carries, the durable back will be set to log at least 200 more with the Bolts this season. That will wind his mileage to a potentially undesirable place come 2025.

Though, last year’s free agency showed teams willing to take chances on veterans at the position. Successful seasons already brought Saquon Barkley an extension and Aaron Jones a substantial raise. Derrick Henry, this generation’s RB outlier, also played himself into position for a Ravens pay bump after his 1,900-yard rushing season. Harris not being able to cash in now, after displaying durability and consistency, may be a worrying sign for his post-2025 earning potential.

Chargers To Meet With TE Evan Engram

March 11th, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Both the Broncos and Chargers carried similar issues into the playoffs, as both teams made surprise postseason voyages with top-heavy skill-position groups. Where the Broncos relied on Courtland Sutton, the Chargers depended on Ladd McConkey.

Neither team carries much at tight end, but they may be vying for Evan Engram. Following his Jaguars release, Engram visited the Broncos but left without a deal. The Chargers are throwing their hat in this ring, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicates they have booked an Engram visit.

Hayden Hurst played out a one-year deal with the Bolts, who enjoyed better production from their tight end spot than the Broncos. No Bronco TE surpassed 200 yards last season, while Will Dissly took over as the Bolts’ leading pass catcher at the position. The ex-Seahawk posted a 481-yard season and remains under contract. Stone Smartt (208 yards) has not yet been tendered as an RFA.

The Jags moved on from Engram despite the ex-Giants draftee breaking and then re-breaking a franchise record for single-season tight end yardage. After a 766-yard 2023 that featured Engram scoring a touchdown in the Jaguars’ wild-card shootout/collapse against the Chargers, he posted 963 yards in 2024. Engram caught 114 passes in 2023, after signing a three-year extension; only Jimmy Smith‘s 1999 featured more catches (116) by a Jaguar.

Previously tied to a three-year, $41.25MM deal, Engram joined Christian Kirk as prominent Trevor Lawrence weapons shipped out this month. Engram has two Pro Bowls (2017, 2020) on his resume and is going into an age-31 season. Juwan Johnson just scored a Saints deal worth just more than $10MM per season. Although he is going into an age-29 campaign, Engram has outperformed Johnson. He will probably be eyeing a comparable contract, as this is not a strong tight end market.

Chargers Re-Sign C Bradley Bozeman, P J.K. Scott

March 10th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second time, Bradley Bozeman has reached an agreement to re-sign with a team. After the Panthers reupped the veteran center in 2023, he is sticking with the Chargers.

The Bolts re-signed Bozeman and punter JK Scott on Monday. Bozeman, 30, played for just $1.13MM with the Chargers last season. The Panthers had given him a raise in 2023, but after playing for the veteran minimum last season, Bozeman may not match the $6MM-per-year deal he was previously on as a Panther.

Despite Bozeman’s low-end contract, he started 17 games for the Chargers. That marked the former Raven’s second straight season of perfect attendance. Pro Football Focus was not particularly complimentary of Bozeman’s initial Chargers year, ranking him 29th among center regulars. That came after the advanced metrics website placed him 21st in 2023.

Los Angeles may not be eyeing Bozeman as a starter once again. GM Joe Hortiz said recently (via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper) that former first-round pick Zion Johnson will be tried at center this offseason. The Bolts, who had previously relocated Trey Pipkins from tackle to guard, have used Johnson as a starting guard — both LG and RG — in each of his three seasons.

Hortiz expressed confidence Johnson could make the transition, despite not playing center at Boston College, either. While Pipkins remains on Los Angeles’ roster, he profiles as a cut candidate, Popper adds. The Chargers could save $6.75MM by releasing the converted tackle, who has been with the team since 2019.

A seven-year veteran, Scott has been the Chargers’ punter for the past three seasons. The 29-year-old specialist has averaged just north of 46 yards per punt in each of the past two seasons.

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