We knew things were going to get dicey for the Los Angeles Chargers heading into the roster cut-down deadline.
So many players had shown potential during the preseason and training camp—and there were so few spots left to be decided on the roster—that many of the biggest risers of August were going to need to be left off the list. But we didn't expect it to be this tumultuous.
Not only was Tony Jefferson reported to have been released only to be brought back at the buzzer, but the Chargers also moved on from a pair of recent draft picks in Junior Colson and Kyle Kennard along with their starting punter in JK Scott.
Colson and Kennard will hopefully wind up on the practice squad, but Los Angeles gambled with their fates in order to ensure they had the best 53 players available to them in Week 1. There's a lot to talk about here— let's start with the three biggest winners and losers in the immediate aftermath of the roster cut-down.
6 most impacted players after Chargers cut down the roster to the fateful 53
Marlowe Wax (Winner)
Wax has been a winner virtually since he entered the fold in Los Angeles. The injury to Junior Colson last season helped him make the roster as a UDFA, and he quickly carved out a special teams role next to Del'Shawn Phillips in the inside linebacker room. But with Colson healthy heading into 2026, he had to show a lot more if he wanted to stay on the roster and build upon the 4% defensive snap share he saw during his rookie season.
He did—posting two pressures and eight total tackles across three preseason appearances—and he'll enter the new campaign as the Chargers' third or fourth linebacker behind Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, and perhaps Troy Dye. That's a majorly successful pickup for the Chargers, even if Colson's tenure with the team has ultimately come to an end.
Junior Colson (Loser)
If we're going to talk about Wax, we need to mention his positional counterpart Colson as well. Colson came into the league with a projection as a highly versatile and athletic off-ball linebacker after his time under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, but he wasn't able to put it together through his first two seasons in Los Angeles. He missed much of his rookie campaign due to various ailments, and a serious shoulder injury held him out of his sophomore season entirely.
He looked good during the preseason, posting a pick-six against the San Francisco 49ers and a well-rounded game against the Los Angeles Rams, but it wasn't enough to ultimately usurp Wax on the depth chart. The Chargers will likely hope he'll wind up on the practice squad as a depth piece if he clears waivers.
TeRah Edwards (Winner)
Edwards didn't make the Chargers' 53-man roster, although he likely played well enough to do so if there was room on the interior defensive line. He performed well as a run stuffer during the preseason, posting eight pressures and nine total tackles.
But behind Jamaree Caldwell, Teair Tart, Justin Eboigbe, Nick Barrett, and Dalvin Tomlinson, there simply wasn't room, and the Chargers likely didn't trust that he would clear the waiver process after the preseason he had. They dealt him to the Carolina Panthers for a sixth-round selection in 2028, and Edwards will get a shot as a rotational defensive lineman in a rising unit. It was his path off the practice squad, and he deserved it.
Eric Rogers (Loser)
With the departure of Benjamin St-Juste this offseason, someone on the 90-man roster was almost certainly going to get a chance to replace a portion of the 37% snap share the now-Green Bay Packer took on last season. Heading into camp, the favorite for that job was Eric Rogers—who played well enough last preseason to earn a 53-man roster spot but was ultimately left off due to an injury.
But he was outplayed by both Avery Smith and Rodney Shelley during the month of August. While Smith was dealt to the Seattle Seahawks, Shelley ultimately made the 53-man roster, and Rogers has now officially missed his lone path off the practice squad. We'll see how things shape up next year, but it's likely Los Angeles will look to deepen the room before Rogers gets his next shot.
Tony Jefferson (Winner)
Jefferson had a tumultous day. It seemed, for a bit, that the Chargers were undertaking the same roster manipulation they have the past two years with the veteran, releasing him only to sign him back in a practice squad role and activate him when needed. Perhaps that's what the extra guaranteed money on his contract was for.
But after moving off of Avery Smith and Edwards, the Chargers decided ultimately to keep him on the 53-man roster—and he'll get the chance to compete with RJ Mickens and Genesis Smith for snaps at the second safety spot right off the bat.
JK Scott (Loser)
Scott's release comes as somewhat of a surprise. He didn't have a great preseason—notably highlighted by his indecision on the 49ers' punt return touchdown in Week 2—and he's had his inconsistencies in his role during his time in Los Angeles.
But the Chargers didn't bring in any competition for him during training camp, so he seemed relatively safe heading into roster cut-down day. To enter the season without a punter on the roster is a major indictment of how they feel about Scott, and it's unclear how they ultimately move forward from here.
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