The LA Chargers officially kicked off the preseason in the Hall of Fame Game against the Detroit Lions. With a blowout win in a game that doesn't count, Chargers fans actually learned a lot about their favorite team heading into 2025.
While there are three more preseason games to do data collection, there was a lot to takeaway from this preseason debut. Most notably, fans now have an idea on which players have a fast track to making the roster and which may be left behind in favor of other standouts.
Unfortunately for some, the mountain to climb to make the active roster may already be too big to overcome. That is exactly the situation 2022 sixth-round pick Ja'Sir Taylor finds himself in after the Hall of Fame Game.
Ja'Sir Taylor now seems destined to be cut by the Chargers
This is an unfortunate turn of events as Taylor's name was coming up during Chargers training camp for all the right reasons.
Many assumed Taylor was a cut candidate when camp started simply because of the depth at cornerback and the lack of production thus far in his career. However, when defensive coordinator Jesse Minter sung his praises at camp, that conversation suddenly shifted.
Still, this was not the first time Taylor has been hyped up by a coach during camp. Fans needed to see him go out and prove it in a game setting because in the past, he was unable to live up to that hype when squaring up against another team.
That trend sadly continued in the Hall of Fame Game. While there were no notable gaffes that will live in Chargers fans' minds, Taylor did turn in one of the worst Pro Football Focus scores of the game behind a mediocre performance.
To make matters worse for Taylor, UDFA Nikko Reed continued his upward trajectory with a big game that included a near pick-six. Reed is another player who has received praise from the Chargers coaching staff but unlike Taylor, he was able to back it up in the preseason.
Taylor still has three more games to prove he is a changed player but it might be too little too late. Four years into his NFL career, Taylor kind of is who he is at this point and isn't going to suddenly figure it how midway through the preseason.
If Taylor actually figured something out during the offseason, he would have shown that in the first preseason game. He didn't, so it is fair to assume he is the same player he has been the last few seasons for the Bolts.
Unlike the last few seasons, there isn't much room on the depth chart for Taylor to sneak in just to be a healthy scratch every week. This time, he may be the odd man out.