Outside of the grappling for the starting left guard spot, most of the Los Angeles Chargers' position battles this offseason are flying under the radar.
There's certainly the potential for some turnover, though. In the pass-rusher room, neither veteran Bud Dupree nor second-year defender Kyle Kennard is necessarily guaranteed a roster spot. UDFA addition Nadame Tucker, however, will have his work cut out for him in camp in trying to pass either one of those players on the depth chart. There's also room for movement at safety, cornerback, and even wide receiver.
But one of Los Angeles' sneakiest position battles could be happening at inside linebacker. Although the Chargers brought back Denzel Perryman on a one-year, $2.8 million deal this offseason, the 11-year veteran is likely nearing the twilight of his career. Behind him, there are a number of players who will be battling for snaps.
Of these, 2025 UDFA Marlowe Wax could actually have a solid chance at a surprising breakout in OTAs.
The Chargers' future at ILB is in question, and Marlowe Wax could help fill the void
Despite some uninspiring performances near the middle of their 2025 campaign, the Chargers run defense wasn't actually all that bad in its totality last season. They finished in the eighth-best among all teams in total rushing yards allowed, although they were in the bottom half of the league in yards-per-attempt.
Bringing Perryman back was the logical move. Although Daiyan Henley's production took a slight dip, he's certainly still a viable starter on a rookie contract.
Beyond that, though, there are some major questions. Junior Colson came to the Chargers as a highly-touted linebacker prospect, but his athletic skill-set hasn't yet panned out into NFL-level production. He played just 32% of the team's defensive snaps as a rookie before missing all of the 2025 campaign with a shoulder injury.
Wax, meanwhile, has consistently impressed since he came to Los Angeles as a UDFA in the 2025 offseason. While he faced an uphill battle, he made the roster out of camp, carving out a special-teams role and endearing himself to the coaching staff rather quickly. He played just 4% of the team's defensive snaps as a rookie.
But under new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, the inside linebacker room is open enough that an impressive showing in OTAs could be enough for a player to carve themselves out a consistent role in 2026. Colson's roster spot is not secure, and Wax will be competing with 29-year-old Troy Dye and fellow special-teamer Del'Shawn Phillips for a share of the snaps behind Perryman and Henley.
But Wax already clearly has one impressive offseason workout cycle under his belt. If he's able to replicate that this offseason, he could quickly emerge as a real defensive contributor for the Chargers in 2026.
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