The Los Angeles Chargers had a major battle to weigh in the inside linebacker room when they were making their final decisions on the 53-man roster.
Ultimately, former UDFA Marlowe Wax beat out former third-round pick Junior Colson for the final spot in the inside linebacker room, and he fully earned that title. While both Colson and Wax were impressive across their three preseason appearances, Wax showed more intensity and consistency as a tackler along with some degree of upside in coverage, which is the exact mix Los Angeles needs alongside Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, and Troy Dye.
Thankfully, Colson cleared waivers and was able to stick with the practice squad. He'll likely get his opportunity on the activer roster at some point this season.
But Wax's opportunity to prove himself is quickly approaching. The Chargers announced after roster cut-downs that Perryman will be placed on the injured reserve (with a designation to return). While Jim Harbaugh says Perryman likely won't miss much more than four weeks, Wax suddenly has a chance to cement himself as a real contributor in the middle of the defense over the early portions of the season.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh says LB Denzel Perryman’s injury will be a “minimum” of 4 games on IR and probably “not too much longer than that”
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) August 31, 2026
Marlowe Wax could be the Chargers' biggest early-season riser
It's unclear if Perryman's injury will open the door for Colson to climb his way back onto the active roster. As of now, his absence seems like the easiest path for Los Angeles to bring back starting punter JK Scott before Week 1. How they work out those roster maneuvers remains to be seen.
But even if Colson does make it back, Wax should still be the third go-to linebacker behind Dye and Henley.
Henley is obviously the star there, and he'll be on the field no matter what. But Wax showed enough consistency during the preseason—posting two pressures and eight total tackles (with zero missed) across three games—that it might be worth giving him a look as a starter while Perryman is out.
Dye is a worthy backup, and he's filled in well for Perryman when he's needed to miss time in the past. But he has his inconsistencies in coverage and his run fits, and he doesn't necessarily possess the same level of athleticism or intensity that Wax has shown since he first arrived with the Chargers as a UDFA last offseason.
At the very least, Wax will be slated for much more than the 4% defensive snap share he saw during his rookie season.
While Perryman's injury doesn't seem to be a long-term one, his absence will give Wax the chance to truly solidify himself on the defense, perhaps even surpassing Dye as the team's third linebacker before the hierarchy in that room becomes more set in stone around Week 5 or 6.
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