The Los Angeles Chargers have made a number of high-impact moves this offseason, especially in free agency.
They haven't all been the most eye-popping deals, but the signings of Keaton Mitchell, Charlie Kolar, David Njoku, Tyler Biadasz, Cole Strange, and Dalvin Tomlinson all should be major factors for the Chargers in 2026. Yet their biggest, splashiest signing this offseason was an internal one.
As safety Derwin James enters the final year of his contract, Los Angeles inked him to a three-year, $75.6 million extension, making him the highest-paid safety in the league for the second time.
There are certainly questions that can be asked about how long James will continue to operate at his level of production and whether the contract will ultimately prove to be worth the price of admission. But for now, James is one of the most versatile chess pieces in the NFL, and he deserves to be paid as such.
The Athletic's Ted Nguyen made a compelling case for James' extension in his recent ranking of the NFL's 10 most versatile pieces.
"James could be the best pass-rushing defensive back in the league; he’s physical against the run, can cover man-to-man and has sideline-to-sideline range in zone. He could be blitzing on one play and playing man on a tight end the next, while playing the “hole” in a Cover 2 zone on the next one... He’s a true, do-it-all safety whose abilities have been maximized at the nickel position." Ted Nguyen, The Athletic
In a list populated by young stars like Cooper DeJean, Nick Emmanwori, and Puka Nacua, James takes on a stately presence. The Chargers defense doesn't operate without him, and as such, he has nothing left to prove as he enters what could be the final major extension of his NFL career.
Derwin James deserves every penny of his offseason extension, even if his decline comes before its conclusion
James has shown potential as one of the best safeties in the league since the start of his career. But it was under the zone-heavy scheme of Jesse Minter, when James moved full-time to a nickelback role, that the full extent of his impact was truly unlocked.
James is one of the rare safeties in the NFL that can truly do everything on the defensive side of the ball. He can drop into coverage when called upon, taking away angles and cutting through passing lanes with impressive ease. He's also highly effective when pushed closer to the line of scrimmage. Per Pro Football Focus, James amassed 13 total pressures on just 71 total pass-rush snaps in 2025.
It's easy to imagine that James will take on the same role under new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary. But O'Leary comes to the Chargers with a higher propensity for blitzing and exotic pressures than Minter showed during his tenure. If O'Leary wants to use James to augment Los Angeles' budding pass rush, we could see these numbers increase in 2026.
But as the Chargers continue to cycle through secondary talent, James will also be the piece that holds the second and third levels together in pass coverage.
In the coming years, James might be surpassed by up-and-coming young safeties and nickels like DeJean, Emmanwori, and Kyle Hamilton. As he reaches age 30, it's just a fact of life in the NFL. But even if James isn't the best safety in the league by the time his extension comes to an end, it's important to remember exactly how he earned that deal in the first place.
He's absolutely integral to the Chargers defense. As long as he can maintain something close to his current standard of production over the next three seasons, it will be $75 million well-spent for Los Angeles.
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