Chargers are placing a dangerously heavy burden on a looming free agent this season

The Los Angeles Chargers, for the most part, have done an excellent job replenishing the depth of their roster this offseason.

They have an entirely revamped offensive line, a host of new blockers and pass-catchers, and a trio of new faces in the pass rush and interior defensive line. Through the Draft and free agency, the Chargers have worked their way toward an overwhelmingly complete roster.

But with a pair of new coordinators coming in, there are certainly still some questions to be answered— particularly when it comes to Chris O'Leary's ability to replicate Jesse Minter's success. Los Angeles did add Akheem Mesidor, Nick Barrett, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Genesis Smith this offseason. Each of those pieces should have a major role to play.

But they also neglected to add a cornerback after the departure of Benjamin St-Juste to the Green Bay Packers, leaving Donte Jackson, Tarheeb Still, and Cam Hart to take over his workload. As Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport recently pointed out, though, the burden of holding the secondary together ultimately falls to Jackson.

Have the Chargers placed too heavy a load on a looming free agent?

"Outside of safety Derwin James Jr., the Los Angeles secondary is short on star power. And while youngsters Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still have flashed at times, both have growing to do entering their third seasons. Jackson is the foundation of the team's cornerback room. And if the Bolts are going to make noise in 2026, he needs to play like the team's best cover man again."- Gary Davenport, Bleacher Report

Donte Jackson is an excellent cornerback, but how long can he be the alpha corner for Los Angeles?

Jackson has already more than outplayed the two-year, $13 million deal he signed with the Chargers prior to the 2025 season. Across 17 games last season, he posted seven PBUs and four interceptions while allowing a passer rating of just 56.3, per Pro Football Focus.

While both Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart took strides in their sophomore campaigns, Jackson was the most experienced and the most skilled outside cornerback in the room. His job was to prop up Minter's zone-heavy, tackling-dependent scheme while setting the right example for Los Angeles' pair of young cornerbacks.

With no additions made to the room this offseason, O'Leary will ask him to do the same.

St-Juste played 37% of the Chargers' defensive snaps in 2025, almost all of which were played on the outside. While there's still a chance Los Angeles adds a veteran cornerback before (or even during) training camp, they seem content to run with what they have in that room. But St-Juste's snaps need to go somewhere.

Even if that means a heavier workload for both Hart and Still, it leaves Jackson with a heavier burden. He was already a load-bearing defender for Los Angeles, but now he'll be tasked even more heavily with keeping the defense together as Hart and Still continue to grow into their roles.

Can he handle it? Almost certainly.

But Jackson will hit free agency next offseason, and Los Angeles has routinely been comfortable with recycling their secondary talent. If they're not willing to retain Jackson, they will need to count on one of Still or Hart being ready to fill his role, not only as a coverage corner but also as a leader.

In short, Davenport is 100% right— Jackson will likely come to be one of the Chargers' most important players in 2026. But Los Angeles must also consider how long they can rely on Jackson to fill that role, and they must determine who will succeed him when the time comes. It's a dangerously heavy burden to place on a 30-year-old corner with one year remaining on his deal.

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