As the Los Angeles Chargers have navigated the treacherous waters that the 2025 season has presented them with, it has, more than any other unit, been their secondary that has helped to calm the storm, with solid play across their defensive back rotation continuing to be one of the team's most reliable aspects.
In the process, the Chargers have loudly been vindicated for not only bringing back veteran safety Tony Jefferson on a one-year, $1.25 million deal for this season but also for restoring his career in the first place by granting him the opportunity to come out of retirement in 2024.
While Jefferson had a middling 2024 campaign, he has become a solid rotational safety in line with Elijah Molden and standout rookie RJ Mickens in 2025, and his signing looks decidedly better with each successive game.
Tony Jefferson has been a bright spot for the Chargers' secondary this season
While his game-winning interception against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14 is the most prevalent, and recent, example of his big-play ability, Jefferson has been there to make the consistent plays the team has needed him to throughout the course of the season.
Following a 2024 campaign in which he only played eight games, Jefferson has already played in nine of the Chargers' 13 games, taking on 59% of the team's defensive snaps in his appearances and recording four interceptions, six passes defended, and 32 combined tackles in that span.
For a player that was officially retired during the entirety of the 2023 season, and played less than half of the snaps in his appearances in 2024, this is rather impressive.
Moreover, the emergence of Jefferson as a reliable contributor, combined with the solid play of Mickens, allowed the team to feel comfortable enough to ultimately deal away Alohi Gilman to the Baltimore Ravens. This, in turn, allowed them to bring back edge rusher Odafe Oweh in what turned out be a difference-making mid-season trade.
While Gilman's presence in Baltimore has allowed them to mobilize star safety Kyle Hamilton in their defensive scheme, Oweh's presence in Los Angeles has provided them with a hugely important rotational pass rusher in tandem with Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu.
It's difficult to say who won the trade at this point, but it is certain that Jefferson's presence allowed the Chargers to fill a dire need. His and Gilman's performances this season have been relatively comparable (with Jefferson getting the slight edge according to Pro Football Focus), and the play of Mickens and Molden have made Gilman's absence essentially a non-factor.
Yet, that is beside the point. In bringing Jefferson out of retirement, and bringing him back for his age 33 season, the Chargers showed an immense amount of faith in his ability to stay healthy and ready to make an impact. This faith has paid massive dividends for both Jefferson and the team in 2025.