With roster cutdown day set for Sunday, August 30 at 3 p.m. Pacific time, the Chargers spent their preseason finale against the Rams giving bubble players one last long look. The message was clear: the starters and safer roster bets were out early, and the players fighting for their jobs got the snaps that could sway the final decisions.
On defense, a handful of names stood out in the scramble for the final spots.
Rodney Shelley has been one of the more intriguing undrafted rookies in camp. The Georgia Tech cornerback has made plays all summer, and against the Rams he was on the field more than any other Chargers defender.
At undersized size but with plenty of fearlessness, Shelley’s appeal comes from his ability to move around and help on special teams. The Chargers have carried extra defensive backs on the initial 53 before, and Shelley is very much in that mix.
There are apparently three defensive backs competing for one or possibly two spots.
Junior Colson’s path has been anything but smooth. Once viewed as the top linebacker prospect in the 2024 class after winning a national championship with Jim Harbaugh and Michigan, he entered camp buried on the depth chart as the sixth linebacker.
Injuries have slowed him badly through his first two NFL seasons, but he put together a strong preseason, including a pick-six against the 49ers in the second preseason game. Keeping six off-ball linebackers would be a long shot, though three expiring contracts could push the Chargers toward a future-minded decision.
Colson, who knows the coaching staff well, looked healthy and played just half of the defensive snaps against the Rams.
Avery Smith has also forced his way into the conversation. The undrafted Toledo defensive back was a hot target coming out of the draft and has backed that up with a strong camp and preseason.
He even got a few first-team snaps during training camp, and with the Chargers’ defensive back room still sorting itself out, Smith’s case is real. Against the Rams, he played the second-most snaps among Chargers defenders and showed up in multiple roles, including the kind of rotation work associated with Derwin James - moving between the slot, the box and outside corner.
That versatility, plus his toughness near the line, gives him a legitimate shot.
TeRah Edwards got a heavy workload as well, logging 42 snaps at nose tackle, a meaningful test for a second-year player trying to hang onto a job. The undrafted free agent from 2025 has been one of the more encouraging developmental stories on the roster, flashing growth and upside.
He finished with four tackles and two pressures, but whether that was enough to earn a spot is still the question. The Chargers have carried six defensive tackles in recent seasons, but roster depth elsewhere may leave no room for another one.
Andre Carter may have helped himself on the edge. The Chargers came into camp expecting a battle between Kyle Kennard and rookie Nadame Tucker for a roster spot, but injuries and a lack of production may have cracked the door open for Carter, who was added late in camp.
He played the fourth-most snaps on the defense against the Rams and produced two pressures and three tackles. If Los Angeles decides it wants another edge rusher with special teams value, Carter has a case.
In Other News...
Chargers Roster Cuts Could Leave One Big Young Talent Debate
Once the Chargers trim down to their final 53, the real debate may not be over the roster, but over who sticks around on the practice squad and why. Draft analyst Thomas Martinez has been running through a projected group that includes a mix of quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and defenders, with the kind of preseason evaluation that often says as much about future plans as it does about August performance.
What makes the picture interesting for Los Angeles is the blend of young talent, versatility and lingering injury questions that can shape those decisions. Some players have shown enough in the preseason to stay in the conversation, and others could still end up part of the Chargers' long-term picture even if they do not make the initial cut. For now, it remains a prediction game, but the final decisions should offer a clearer read on which young players the staff values most. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Face A Costly JK Scott Decision As Cuts Near
With roster cuts approaching, the Chargers have one more special-teams question hanging over them, and it centers on JK Scotts job security. The veteran punter has shown enough leg to keep himself in the conversation, but inconsistency has followed him often enough that every shaky outing seems to matter more than the last one. His recent preseason performance did little to calm those concerns, with a 33.7-yard average and a shanked punt serving as a reminder that field position can change fast on a unit where margin for error is thin.
Los Angeles has enough to weigh here beyond a single poor night. Scotts 2025 numbers have been solid enough on paper, but the Chargers need more than competent averages from a punter they have to trust in tight games and awkward field-position spots. As the roster gets pared down, the choice is no longer just about leg strength, it is about whether the team believes Scott can be steady enough when it matters or whether it is time to look elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Have A Backup QB Problem Harbaugh Can't Ignore
The Chargers have spent much of camp making sure Justin Herbert stays the center of everything, but the conversation behind him has turned less comfortable. Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei have not done much to settle the backup quarterback job in preseason play, and that has left a thin-looking depth chart in a spot teams hate being thin at this time of year.
Jim Harbaugh has dealt with this kind of problem before and did not wait around then, choosing a trade to shore up the position when the situation demanded it. With final roster cuts looming, Los Angeles could again look at trades, the waiver wire or free agency if it decides the current options are not enough, because the Chargers cannot afford to go into the season feeling uneasy about what happens if Herbert is unavailable. [Read more 🡒]