The Chargers have built real heat into camp, and that’s made the back end of the roster a lot less comfortable for a few familiar names. With cutdowns coming, Trevor Penning and Junior Colson have both landed in uneasy territory, even though neither situation is really about a lack of talent so much as the competition around them.
Penning looked like the kind of lineman who could carve out a useful job: physical, flexible, the sort of piece teams usually want in reserve. But the fit has gotten murkier in Mike McDaniel’s offense, where the outside-zone work asks blockers to move laterally, sort out spacing quickly and stay sharp on the fly.
That’s a different kind of test, and it’s one that has apparently exposed some of Penning’s limitations. As the padded sessions ramped up, Branson Taylor and veteran Kayode Awosika started separating themselves, while Penning’s chances shrank.
The concern now is that he hasn’t done enough to show he can be trusted in more than one situation, and that’s a tough sell for a backup lineman on a team trying to squeeze value out of every roster spot.
Colson’s case is more surprising. Entering camp, there was a reasonable expectation that he’d lock into a meaningful role in the linebacker mix.
Instead, the group around him has kept tightening. Denzel Perryman has continued to bring the veteran presence, Henley has earned his place because of his coverage work, and Del'Shawn Phillips and Troy Dye have both pushed themselves into the conversation.
That kind of crowd makes life hard at the bottom of the roster, where special teams value and versatility can matter as much as raw ability.
Colson has shown flashes, but not enough consistency. The issue has been diagnosing plays and getting downhill with conviction, and in a defense like Minter’s, hesitation gets punished fast. He’s still flashing the athletic tools that made him intriguing in the first place, but the gap between flashes and dependable week-to-week play is what’s putting him in danger.
What makes both situations stand out is that the Chargers aren’t simply cutting players loose. They’ve built real competition into the roster, and that pressure is forcing hard decisions. The offense has raised its standard for movement and execution, the defense is demanding instant recognition and toughness, and special teams are going to decide a lot of the final spots.
So Penning has to prove he can be reliable depth in a demanding scheme. Colson has to show his instincts and special-teams value are enough to keep him in the fold. If they don’t, the final stretch of preseason could send both players elsewhere before the 2026 season even starts in Los Angeles.
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Justin Herbert And Mike McDaniel Could Unlock The Chargers Offense
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There is also reason to believe the supporting cast will be better positioned to help. Jeremiah pointed to the return of key tackles and the possibility of a bigger role for wide receiver Ladd McConkey, two developments that could make the offense feel a lot more complete around Herbert. The idea is simple enough, but for a team trying to turn promise into production, the real test will be how quickly those pieces come together once McDaniel starts drawing it up. [Read more 🡒]