After much back-and-forth, the Los Angeles Chargers have locked in their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 campaign.
There were certainly some surprises. Starting punter JK Scott was cut, only for it to be announced that he'll be back on the roster for Week 1. Tony Jefferson was briefly reported to have been released as well, only to be brought back before the final buzzer. The injuries to Tyler Biadasz and Branson Taylor opened up some spots along the offensive line that may not be there for the duration of the season.
In short, there's still change coming for Los Angeles. While Denzel Perryman's move to the IR will make room for Scott to return for Week 1, the Chargers will have some major decisions to make over the coming weeks.
Here are three players whose jobs still aren't entirely safe even after roster cut-downs.
3 players who may be counting their days on the Chargers' 53-man roster
1. Derius Davis, WR
Heading into camp, it seemed as though Davis' job as the punt and kick returner was in real danger. The Chargers brought in Keaton Mitchell and Brenen Thompson this offseason—both of whom have special teams upside—and Davis hasn't performed at a high level since his rookie season.
But Los Angeles kept their faith in Davis throughout training camp and the preseason, allowing him to consistently take the first reps as the return man. But if he starts to falter, the Chargers have plenty of options to replace him. On top of Thompson and Mitchell, KeAndre Lambert-Smith took reps there as well, and having just five wide receivers on the roster could grant the Chargers flexibility along the offensive line or in the secondary as the season unfolds.
Davis is relatively safe for now, but he needs to come close to matching his rookie-year production if he wants to remain on this roster for the duration of the season.
2. Alex Harkey, OG
Harkey was likely the final offensive lineman to make this roster. While his sixth-round counterpart, Logan Taylor, showed upside at tackle, Harkey seems to be limited to an interior role only— one that will likely disappear when Branson Taylor returns from the IR.
Harkey looked alright during the preseason, allowing just three pressures on 59 pass-blocking snap with the third-team O-line, but it doesn't truly seem like he's ready to step in at the NFL level. His inclusion on the 53-man roster is likely just a temporary maneuver.
3. Scott Matlock, TE/FB
Matlock didn't make the 53-man roster outright—he was placed on the IR with a designation to return after missing a large swathe of training camp with an undisclosed injury. It seems like the Chargers might be making a place for him on the roster when he's healthy.
But it's still difficult to envision what sort of role he'll play. The fullback position has been taken over by Alec Ingold, and beyond their trio of Charlie Kolar, David Njoku, and Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles also has Evan Svoboda and Patrick Herbert as practice squad tight ends.
The Chargers probably wouldn't have used an IR spot on Matlock if they were planning on simply releasing him, but he's still far from safe given how tight the edges of this roster will be when everyone's healthy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google