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Chargers Change Their Minds and Keep Tony Jefferson on Their Final Roster
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- Chargers Change Their Minds and Keep Tony Jefferson on Their Final Roster
The Los Angeles Chargers made a move on Sunday by deciding to release veteran safety Tony Jefferson after he had spent the last two seasons with them. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the news, and it had some people scratching their heads.
In his time with the team, Jefferson had become popular with both its fans and his teammates. He isn't the same player he was several years ago, especially after tearing his ACL in 2019, but he did have a strong showing last year.
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Shortly after the NFL's deadline for teams to finalize their 53-man rosters for this season, the Chargers went back on their initial decision on Jefferson. It looks like he will be staying in L.A. after all.
Jefferson made the final roster after a couple of other moves
On Sunday, the Chargers traded cornerback Avery Smith, an undrafted rookie, to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth-round draft pick in 2027. They also released Kyle Kennard , a zero-impact edge rusher, and linebacker Junior Colson , and they traded defensive tackle TeRah Edwards to the Carolina Panthers for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
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That apparently cleared the requisite room for them to reverse course on Jefferson and keep him around on their final roster, per Schefter.
To quote baseball great Yogi Berra, it's like déjà vu all over again for Jefferson. Los Angeles released him, only to quickly bring him back in each of the past two summers when it was time for it to finalize its roster for the season.
In 2025, he had 57 total tackles (37 solo), two quarterback hits, seven passes defended and four interceptions. Statistically, it was his best season since 2018, when he was a member of the Baltimore Ravens .
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If Jefferson is spry, he could provide functional depth for a Chargers defense that is now led by new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary. O'Leary wants to blitz more and occasionally deploy his defensive backs in blitz packages, and while Jefferson has never really racked up sacks, it will be interesting to see how he contributes in this new scheme.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
