Junior Colson issues a poignant reminder of his case for the Chargers' 53-man roster

The Los Angeles Chargers' inside linebacker room seemed relatively set heading into their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman, and Troy Dye would be the top three in the rotation, while Marlowe Wax and Del'Shawn Phillips would have extensive special teams roles to play. Wax has also been highly impressive entering his second season, and it wouldn't be surprising in the least to see him take on a larger defensive snap share in 2026.

Even after the 49ers matchup, the complexion of the room still seems largely the same.

But third-year defender Junior Colson issued a forcible reminder about his status on the edge of the roster bubble. He's had a quiet camp so far, but he read the defense perfectly off a pressure by Nadame Tucker to intercept a poor pass from 49ers quarterback Adrian Martinez, waltzing into the end zone with little opposition.

One play doesn't make or break a bid for the roster. But for those looking on from the outside, it's a clear reminder of why Colson is still fighting to carve out his lane among the linebackers— his upside as an athletic coverage piece in the middle of the defense is still relatively immense.

The Chargers might not have space for Colson on the roster— but don't be surprised if he ultimately sticks

Needless to say, Colson has had a rough start to his NFL career. He needed an appendectomy before the start of his rookie campaign that limited his involvement and training camp, and he was placed on the injured reserve later that season with an unrelated injury. Then a shoulder issue cost him the entirety of his 2025 campaign.

Colson has played just over 300 total snaps at the NFL level, split between defense and special teams.

When the Chargers re-signed a 33-year-old Denzel Perryman this offseason, that seemed like an indictment on Colson's ability to remain healthy and be an impact player in his third season. The emergence of Wax as a UDFA last season certainly didn't help matters.

But there's a reason the Chargers took a swing on Colson in the third round fo the 2024 NFL Draft. He was an absolute monster at Michigan, posting 95 combined tackles en route to a national championship in 2023. He struggles at times to trigger downhill and complete his tackles, but he's rangy and athletic in coverage and has the eyes to read and disrupt the defense consistently.

With Perryman likely heading towards retirement and Henley entering the final year of his rookie deal, Los Angeles needs to begin thinking long-term at the inside linebacker position. Extending another lifeline to Colson in 2026 could be a path to doing so.

But with the edges of this roster as tight as they are, and both the outside linebacker and safety rooms likely commanding extra spots on the final 53-man list, it's going to take more than one play for Colson to cement his case to stay off of the practice squad this season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow