The Chargers have released linebacker Kyle Kennard ahead of the start of the regular season Getty
The Los Angeles Chargers are officially less than a week away from kicking off their 2026 campaign, as they will open the new season with a Week 1 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals . The Chargers were quite busy this offseason, and they will be widely expected to open the year with a win against the lowly Cardinals.
For the most part, Los Angeles has finished fine-tuning its roster for the upcoming campaign, but the front office is still tinkering with things right before the start of the season. Case in point, the Chargers made an unexpected move involving 2025 fourth-round pick Kyle Kennard over the weekend as they continue to work on putting together the best possible roster.
Kennard put himself on the map for NFL teams after a standout season for the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2024. In 12 games, Kennard racked up 28 tackles and an SEC-leading 11.5 sacks, which helped him earn All-American honors and the 2024 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award.
The Chargers used a fourth-round pick on the talented pass rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he didn't make much of an impact as a rookie, as he appeared in just five games and recorded only two tackles. Still, the upside with Kennard was hard to miss, and L.A. was hopeful he would be able to take a step forward in 2026.
Those hopes were dashed when Kennard was placed on injured reserve amid Los Angeles' final roster cuts, meaning he would miss the entire season. In a sudden twist, though, the Chargers waived Kennard with an injury settlement , meaning he is free to sign with another team and immediately suit up for them.
Chargers waived LB Kyle Kennard from injured reserve with injury settlement," Joseph Pasteris shared in a post on X.
GettyThe Chargers have released linebacker Kyle Kennard ahead of the start of the regular season
There aren't many details surrounding Kennard's injury, so it was a bit of a shock to see him land on injured reserve from seemingly out of nowhere as the team was trimming its roster. Kennard believes he will be able to return to the field at some point this season, though, which is why he was able to agree to this injury settlement with the Chargers. From the team's perspective, though, giving up on Kennard so shortly after drafting him is a bit of a tough pill to swallow.
Kennard hasn't shown much early on in his career, but he isn't far removed from a dominant collegiate campaign with South Carolina. If he can put all the pieces of the puzzle together, he could very well turn himself into the sort of pass rusher the Chargers thought they were getting when they drafted him. The only thing that is certain is that Kennard won't be getting his big break with Los Angeles, as it has decided to cut its losses with him right before its Week 1 action.
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