The Chargers’ linebacker room just got a lot more interesting.
On Monday, Los Angeles moved veteran Denzel Perryman to injured reserve with a previously undisclosed injury, a shift that will sideline him for at least four games. The team also released punter JK Scott at roster cutdowns and then brought him back, another bit of roster juggling after the club had already trimmed to its initial 53-man group on Sunday, August 30.
Perryman’s absence lands at a tricky spot for a defense that had counted on his experience. He re-signed with the Chargers this offseason to give new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary a proven run-stopping presence, but his physical style has long come with durability questions. The most games Perryman has ever played in a season is 15, and his career average sits at 11.7.
That opens the door wider for Marlowe Wax, who has been pushing his way up the depth chart. Wax entered the league as a 2025 undrafted free agent and has kept earning more trust every time the Chargers have put him on the field.
He made the 53-man roster last season, contributed on special teams, and even got the start against the division champion Denver Broncos in Week 18 when the Chargers rested their starters before the playoffs. He responded with a strong showing against a starting, playoff-bound offense.
This offseason, Wax kept building on that momentum. In the Chargers’ second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, he wore the green dot and handled the defensive communication from O'Leary, a clear sign the staff is giving him more to manage on the field. He has backed that responsibility up with production, too: Pro Football Focus has him graded at 90.9 for overall defense this preseason, the second-highest mark among NFL linebackers, with zero missed tackles.
Wax still has veterans ahead of him in Troy Dye and Del'Shawn Phillips, but his rise is hard to miss. With Perryman out, the path to more snaps is right there, and Wax looks ready to take them. Heading into the 2026 season, Wax and Phillips are the only Chargers linebackers not on expiring contracts, giving Wax a chance to become a bigger part of the team’s future in the middle of the defense.
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