The Los Angeles Chargers have some room to work with their inside linebackers.
The room as a whole is pretty deep. Even with Daiyan Henley and Denzel Perryman as the established starters, neither Troy Dye nor Junior Colson is completely safe in their current roles. Dye will be a free agent after this season, and Colson missed all of 2025 with a shoulder injury. As special-teams contributors Marlowe Wax and Del'Shawn Phillips push for larger roles, there's certainly a path there.
At the end of the day, it will depend upon new defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary and to what extent he values the experience of Dye or the upside of Colson. But it goes almost without saying that, since Wax made the roster as a UDFA last offseason, he's consistently impressed special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken with his professionalism and work ethic.
Chargers STC Ryan Ficken on LB Marlowe Wax: “He was a seasoned vet midway through last year.”
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) August 3, 2026
“He just wants more…It’s exciting to be around a guy who can continue to deliver and add so much value.”
In the context of this season, "more" for Wax might mean an enhanced role on special teams. But if he's able to continue to push Colson for his spot as LB4 next to Dye, there's a chance for Wax to take on a real role in O'Leary's defense as he enters his sophomore campaign.
Marlowe Wax will be a sneaky name to watch over the rest of Chargers training camp
Even coming out of college as a UDFA, Wax was seen as a potentially versatile, hard-hitting linebacker with the requisite athleticism to make a splash at the position. But he was limited by injuries in his final season at Syracuse, appearing in just eight games and totaling 44 combined tackles and 4.5 sacks.
The injury to Colson last offseason opened up a spot for him on the roster, though, and Wax made the most of it. Although he didn't see much run with the defense, he played 73% of special teams snaps over all 17 games, and he became a reliable contributor for Ficken.
Ostensibly, Wax's situation hasn't changed. It might've gotten worse— at least on the surface— as a result of Colson's return from injury.
But if there's one thing this Jim Harbaugh-led coaching staff values, it's effort. Wax has consistently shown that since he arrived with the organization.
There's also some lingering uncertainty in the linebacker room that could open the door for Wax. Denzel Perryman is back on another one-year deal, but it's unclear how long he'll remain in Los Angeles or continue to produce at this level. Daiyan Henley, and Troy Dye are also entering the final years of their contracts.
If the Chargers see Wax at all as a long-term developmental piece at the position, they'll be looking to keep him on the 53-man roster. The same goes for Colson. But there's a chance, if Wax wins that competition if camp, that he's destined for a much more expanded role in 2026 as Los Angeles attempts to sort out its depth at the position.
Add us as a preferred source on Google