DJ Uiagalelei’s first professional sports appearance came in Los Angeles on Sunday, and it happened under the bright lights of the NFL rather than on a baseball diamond.
The former Dodgers draft pick took the field for the Los Angeles Chargers late in a blowout loss to the Houston Texans, stepping in for starter Justin Herbert and making his NFL debut. The Dodgers had selected Uiagalelei in the 20th round of the 2023 draft, even though he hadn’t played baseball since high school and never signed with the organization.
That Dodgers pick came with some intrigue. Uiagalelei had shown enough arm strength in high school to reach 95 miles per hour on the mound, and he carried that natural athleticism into college football.
He then put together one of his best seasons at Oregon State in 2023 before transferring to Florida State in 2024. Still, he went undrafted and eventually landed with the Chargers.
His path in Los Angeles has already included a few twists. The Chargers waived him during final roster cuts, then brought him back to the practice squad right away. The same thing happened in 2026, before he was moved onto the active roster after backup Trey Lance was placed on injured reserve.
On Sunday, Uiagalelei didn’t put up eye-popping numbers, but he did leave with a notable milestone. He played about half of the fourth quarter and finished 2-for-7 for 24 yards, while also throwing his first NFL touchdown - a 15-yard strike to Derius Davis.
The Chargers dropped to 0-8 with the loss and remain at the bottom of the league as their season keeps going sideways. Uiagalelei could be in line for more snaps, too, after Herbert suffered a middle finger injury on his non-dominant hand.
The Chargers’ next chance to get in the win column comes against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, Nov. 15, at 5:15 p.m. PT. After that, they return home to face the New York Jets the following Sunday.
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