Los Angeles Chargers: All-Decade defensive team
By Jason Reed
Los Angeles Chargers All-Decade defense, the linebackers:
LB1: Shaun Phillips (2010-2012)
Shaun Phillips was an excellent outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers whose best season intersected with the start of the decade. He may have only played three years with the Bolts in the decade but he was the only Pro Bowler and will always be remembered for his nine-year career with the team.
Phillips finished the decade with the sixth-most games solo tackles among linebackers, the eighth-most games played, but most importantly, the most sacks, with 24.
His overall numbers are not as high because he played most of his career prior to 2010, but he was great with the Bolts and cannot be ignored.
LB2: Donald Butler (2011-2015)
Donald Butler was always a serviceable linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers but he was never someone who took that extra step to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player. There was not anything wrong with Butler, he just did not live up to the expectations of his potential.
But still, he leads all Charger linebackers in solo tackles in the decade as well as games played. The team’s linebackers have been pretty bad throughout the decade, and Butler being the second-best is an indication of that.
LB3: Denzel Perryman (2015-2019)
Yep, you might be surprised to see Perryman on this list, but because of how the linebackers throughout the decade were all mediocre, he makes the cut as the third member.
Perryman is fifth in games played, second in total tackles, third in tackles for loss (behind Phillips and Butler) and third in AV.
Like Butler, he has never taken that next step and he can be frustrating to watch at times, but he is naturally talented and has shown some really positive signs of play as well.