Is Casey Hayward safe from being cut by the LA Chargers?

The LA Chargers made roster cuts on Friday as it was announced that both Trai Turner and Malik Jefferson were being released. Turner was the prime candidate to be cut after his disappointing season. The Bolts saved $11.5 million against the cap with no dead cap hit in 2021.

Jefferson was not a cap casualty so much as the team simply trimming the fat of the roster.

There was another notable name that fans were expecting to be cut in Casey Hayward. The Chargers can save $9.75 million against the cap in 2021 if they were to cut Hayward. There has been no word on the veteran cornerback’s future.

Is Casey Hayward now safe from being cut by the LA Chargers?

Anything is certainly possible, but I would say that Hayward is safe for the time being. There is absolutely the possibility of the Chargers cutting him at a later date, but if the team were to do it, they would have done it all at the same time.

There is a case to be made that the Chargers are simply waiting to see how the free-agent market develops to cut Hayward. If there is someone with interest in the Bolts and they need the money then it theoretically makes sense to then cut Hayward.

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I just do not think that is very plausible. Who is that player going to be? The team can afford Corey Linsley and other smaller free agents to help fill out the roster. They aren’t going to land an every-down outside corner that is going to be worth the money that is freed up by cutting Hayward, either.

It is hard to see something developing between now and the time of free agency that would prompt the Chargers to suddenly need $10 million more in salary-cap space. Tom Telesco and the front office knows who they are pursuing and have a budget. If the team was really primed to spend as much as some fans want then they would have cut Hayward now. Why wait?

The Chargers respect their veterans. Wouldn’t they want to give Hayward as much time as possible to prepare for NFL free agency? Whether or not the team should cut Hayward is not the debate here, it is whether or not the team is going to do it.

It would not be shocking if the front office is hoping that Hayward can rebound in 2021 with better health. Plus, the team likely does not want to release the only outside corner that the team really has.

Unfortunately for some fans, it seems highly unlikely that Casey Hayward will be cut by the LA Chargers after he was not involved in the initial two cuts.