The Chargers kept leaning into familiar faces for Mike McDaniel this offseason, and the latest move came after the Week 1 roster was already set.
Los Angeles signed wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. to the practice squad, adding another player who spent time with McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins. It’s not the kind of move that grabs headlines the way bringing in fullback Alec Ingold or guard Cole Strange did, but it fits the same pattern: a player who knows the system and can help the transition along.
Wease entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2025 and spent last season with McDaniel in Miami. He appeared in one game as a rookie, a Week 17 contest in which he scored on a 63-yard play for his first pro touchdown. Even so, most of his year was spent on the practice squad, and he did not make Miami’s final roster after the coaching change.
Still, McDaniel’s staff identified him for a reason, and Wease’s choice to land with the Chargers says something too.
At 6’3” and 210 pounds, with more than four years of college football behind him, Wease gives the Chargers another receiver option with a path to the 53-man roster if injuries hit. Ladd McConkey has dealt with nagging injuries over the last few years, while KeAndre Lambert-Smith and rookie Brenen Thompson are still developing.
There’s also the bigger picture on the practice squad. Dalevon Campbell and Sincere Brown are both on injured reserve, leaving Wease as one of two receivers there right now.
And this isn’t just about this season. If recent draft picks like Tre Harris and Lambert-Smith don’t work out, having McDaniel-linked players in the pipeline could matter.
The same goes if the Chargers don’t keep Quentin Johnston beyond this year. The front office has never been one to chase splashy name moves, so building from within - even from the practice squad - would fit the way they operate.
For now, Wease is just another depth addition. But in a Chargers offseason full of McDaniel reunions, he’s one to watch.
In Other News...
Chargers Practice Squad Shuffle Brings In Some Very Familiar Names
The Chargers roster work for 2026 didnt stop at the 53-man deadline. After trimming down the active group, the team turned to the practice squad and added a mix of developmental depth and one especially familiar name, signing tight end Patrick Herbert, the younger brother of quarterback Justin Herbert, along with cornerback Kaiir Elam, wide receiver Theo Wease and defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson.
It also meant a few familiar faces moved out of the picture, with cornerback Isas Waxter, wide receiver Devonte Ross and defensive lineman Jahmeer Carter all released from the practice squad. For a Chargers team trying to keep as much quality depth around its quarterback as possible, the family connection attached to Herberts latest addition is the kind of detail that will keep getting attention as the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Have A Week 1 Problem At Linebacker
Denzel Perrymans season-opening trip to injured reserve leaves the Chargers with an early-season hole to sort out at linebacker, and it comes at a time when Jim Harbaugh is still trying to settle roles across the roster. Perryman will miss at least four games, and Harbaugh said the return timeline will hinge on how his rehab goes, which only adds another layer of uncertainty to a position group that now needs a starter by default.
Los Angeles does have options on the depth chart, with Troy Dye, DelShawn Phillips and Marlowe Wax all in the mix for snaps, but the team has not publicly settled on who will take over the job. For a defense that wants stability right away, the bigger issue may be how quickly someone can step in and look the part while Perryman works his way back. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Herbert Enters Week 1 With Chargers Pressure Already Building
Justin Herbert goes into Week 1 with the usual weight that comes with being the Chargers franchise quarterback, but the conversation around him this week was more about process than promises. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel offered broad expectations for Herberts growth without attaching any specific benchmarks before the season opener, while the team also handled a procedural roster move with punter JK Scott, who was released and re-signed to keep flexibility on the back end of the roster. General manager Joe Hortiz backed Scotts work, a small but familiar reminder that plenty of the early-season noise around this team lives well beyond the quarterback.
Herbert was also named one of the Chargers captains, another sign that the organization is leaning on him not just for production, but for tone-setting as the season begins. The pressure around him does not need a number attached to it to be understood, especially with the opener arriving and expectations always trailing the Chargers wherever they go. What remains to be seen is how much of that quiet confidence in Herbert and the offense shows up once the games count. [Read more 🡒]