The NFL is a young man's game. It doesn't matter if you are a veteran on a cheap contract, if there is a young player on your heels with several years of team control then you will be shown the door. LA Chargers safety Tony Jefferson may be staring that reality down heading into 2025.
The Chargers took a chance on Jefferson last year after he spent a year away from the game as a scout for the Baltimore Ravens. After one of the most impressive preseason games of all time, Jefferson earned a spot on the Chargers practice squad and ended up playing eight games for the Bolts.
His play in those eight games earned him a new one-year, $1.38 million contract with the team.
it was a feel-good story for the Chargers that was born out of necessity due to injuries. With a healthy safety room and a new face via sixth-round pick R.J. Mickens, it is no longer necessary to keep Jefferson around.
R.J. Mickens makes Tony Jefferson expendable for the Chargers
The Chargers drafted Mickens with the No. 214 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's dangerous to tout a sixth-round draft pick before they ever even suit up in a preseason game but all the signs are there for Mickens to be a valuable pro.
Mickens has all the makings of being a diamond in the rough, even if it takes time for him to get tangible playing time on defense. His size and athleticism alone will ensure he is a valuable special teams player for years to come. That alone will get him a spot on the 53-man roster.
That is where Mickens is going to get most of his chances as a rookie in 2025. With Derwin James, Alohi Gilman and Elijah Molden ahead of him on the depth chart there is not much room for Molden to play on defense unless there are injuries.
However, the Chargers could use an explosive, hard-hitting safety on special teams. Mickens provides exactly that. Jefferson isn't necessarily a special-teams ace at this stage in his career, which is a huge disadvantage.
It's not impossible for the Chargers to carry five safeties on the 53-man roster but it is uncommon. And given where both players are at in their careers, the Chargers are far more likely to waive Jefferson than they are Mickens.
The glaring question then becomes what's next for Jefferson. The Chargers may look to keep him around on the practice squad like they did last season but that is not guaranteed. Jefferson is prone to regress quickly at his age and that may happen over the course of training camp and the preseason.
Either way, Jefferson's chances of making the Chargers roster are extremely slim after the team drafted Mickens. If he still manages to put together a good summer, he may even find himself on another team in Week 1.