Coming into training camp, it didn't seem at all like an assured reality that Derius Davis would hang onto his spot on the Los Angeles Chargers' 53-man roster.
Sure, he still has some level of leeway given what we saw from him during his rookie season. He put up an All-Pro campaign as a return man, flashing a level of speed and athleticism that could've been a major asset to Los Angeles on special teams over the coming seasons. Especially if he was able to work his way into the offense as a deep threat, it seemed as though Davis could develop into a real weapon for the Chargers.
Neither of those things have gone according to plan, though. Davis has continued to struggle to make his mark on special teams even with a clean bill of health in 2026, and although Mike McDaniel has given him some looks in the deep passing game, Davis is still without a reception through the first three weeks of the season.
If the roster were fully healthy, then, it might be worth asking the question—could Davis' roster spot be better utilized on an additional contributor on either side of the ball? Perhaps that's something Los Angeles will need to answer later in the season.
But as injury concerns continue for this offense, there's simply no way that Los Angeles is willing to part with Davis for now.
Derius Davis' job with the Chargers is only safe because of the roster's injury woes
If I told you, prior to the start of the season, that Mitchell had taken six kick returns to Davis's three, and that Davis had hardly played a part in the course of the offense, would you believe that it made sense to keep him on the roster? Probably not.
McDaniel kept less than six receivers on the initial 53-man roster in three out his four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, as he tended to grant extra roster spots to blocking personnel like tight ends, a fullback, and offensive linemen. It seemed, on some level, like KeAndre Lambert-Smith could push for that fifth receiver spot during training camp and that the Chargers could use Davis' spot to add on an extra tight end, cornerback, or interior protector.
At least, that's what makes sense in a vacuum. There simply isn't room on a complete NFL roster for a player with no offensive impact and a limited special-teams role.
But Lambert-Smith is now out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury. Ladd McConkey was limited for the past two weeks with a rib injury, and he now has a fresh foot ailment that has popped up on the Chargers' injury report ahead of their Week 4 matchup. Brenen Thompson didn't practice on Wednesday as he continues to deal with his quadricep injury. The Chargers were forced to activate Marquez Valdes-Scantling—who hasn't played a significant role in an NFL offense since 2022—to complete their receiving corps in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills.
If Davis provided any semblance of an answer on the offensive side of the ball, the problem might not be as glaring.
But even with seven players on IR, it doesn't seem like the Chargers have room on the roster—or even the justifiable depth—to work in an additional corner, linebacker, safety, or depth offensive lineman to help address the gaps in those rooms. That roster spot belongs, currently, to Davis.
The other consideration here are the injury concerns surrounding Mitchell, who's split kick return opportunities with Davis to this point in the season. Mitchell suffered a fresh foot injury in practice on Wednesday, and it's unlikely Los Angeles wants to lean on him fully on special teams as he takes on a larger role in the backfield.
The Chargers simply can't afford to let Davis go at this point, even when he's still failing to provide any major impact either on special teams or in the course of the offense. That, more than anything, is representative of the true lack of depth they came into this season with on the offensive side of the ball.
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