Andre Carter II’s path to the Chargers is the kind of journey that can make a roster battle feel bigger than the numbers on a stat sheet. Born June 2, 2000, in Murrieta, California, Carter moved through a winding high school track at Vista Murrieta (CA), Ridge Point (TX), Westbury (TX), and Cheshire Academy (CT), where his final season was a post-graduate year. Even then, his recruiting profile never caught fire, finishing as a zero-star prospect according to 247Sports.
Army was where everything started to click. Carter redshirted his first season with the program, then got his first real action in year two, when he posted 14 tackles, a sack, and an interception in a limited role. The breakout came in 2021, his third year, when he was flat-out dominant: 47 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, and another interception.
That kind of season usually sends a player straight to the NFL Draft. Carter couldn’t take that route because a bill enacted in 2019 prevents those at military academies from declaring early without meeting certain requirements.
So he returned for his senior season, and the production dipped sharply to 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. What had looked like a first-round profile slid toward undrafted territory.
NFL scout Lance Zierlein summed up the upside and the unfinished parts of Carter’s game this way: “Long and rangy, Carter is currently best suited as a 3-4 rush linebacker on passing downs, but is likely to develop into an every-down player with additional growth both physically and technically. Carter needs to play with more skilled hands and inject a little more glass into his on-field diet in order to meet force with force when the run game comes downhill at him.
His explosive get-off and natural bend/agility at the top of the rush are enough to create early opportunities for himself as a quarterback hunter. Carter might need a longer runway to meet his potential, but if does his pass-rush homework, he could take a substantial leap forward as an odd or even front edge rusher by Year 3.”
After a fifth-round grade never turned into draft capital, Carter went undrafted and signed with the Minnesota Vikings after the 2023 NFL Draft. He didn’t make Minnesota’s initial roster, then spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins before landing with the Chargers.
Los Angeles added him before its first preseason game, a move that made sense with the team resting most of its EDGE rushers and needing more bodies for the exhibition work. Carter has appeared in 3 games, with 0.5 sacks, 1 tackle, 1 QB hit, 16 defensive snaps, and 7 special teams snaps.
His current deal is a 1 year, $1,145,000 contract with the Chargers, carrying the same $1,145,000 average annual salary, base salary, and cap hit in 2026, according to Spotrac.
Carter arrives late in the offseason ramp-up, which leaves him with an uphill climb. He has flashed enough to stay in the conversation, but to force his way onto the final 53-man roster or the practice squad, he’ll have to be nearly impossible to ignore over the next few weeks. His best argument is still the one that followed him out of college: the tools are real.
In Other News...
Chargers Rookie Brenen Thompson Just Raised A Tough Roster Question
The Chargers opened the preseason with a win over the Texans, and rookie wideout Brenen Thompson did enough to get noticed in a crowded receiver room. He finished with two catches for 30 yards and added a 12-yard punt return, showing the kind of speed and versatility that can matter for a young player trying to carve out a role before the games count.
Even so, Thompsons night was uneven, with most of his work coming alongside backup quarterback Trey Lance and a rough moment that underscored how quickly roster evaluations can swing. He is being used as a reserve option behind Quentin Johnston on the unofficial depth chart, and performances like this only sharpen the question the Chargers now have to answer: whether Thompsons big-play potential is enough to keep him in the mix as the roster starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Preseason Win Put Several Roster Battles Into Sharp Focus
The Chargers preseason win over the Texans offered exactly the kind of look a coaching staff wants in August, with most starters parked on the sideline while younger players and roster hopefuls handled the heavy lifting. In a 27-7 result that was more about evaluation than the scoreboard, the depth on the defensive line held up well and a few fringe players found a way to make themselves part of the conversation.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith was one of the more noticeable pass-catching options as the receivers battled for attention, and the quarterback picture stayed murky behind him. Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei each had their moments, but neither turned the night into a clean separation in the backup race, leaving the Chargers with more tape to study and a few important decisions still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Offensive Line Just Changed The Feel Of This Season
The Chargers got an early look at a position battle worth watching in their preseason opener against the Texans, and the offensive line came away with something close to validation. Even without their top offensive players on the field, Los Angeles handled the run game well and outgained Houston, a small but meaningful sign that the group may be deeper and more stable than it looked a year ago.
Jake Slaughter added to that sense of competition by moving between center and left guard, showing the kind of versatility that can keep a young lineman in the mix. Kayode Awosika also helped his case by posting the highest offensive PFF grade among Chargers players, and with the left guard job still unsettled, this is the sort of performance that can quietly change the tone around a season before the games really count. [Read more 🡒]