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Marlowe Wax may get his big break following Chargers' Daiyan Henley trade

The UDFA LB out of Syracuse has continued to impress in his first two seasons with the team. Now, he gets a shot at a bigger role.
ByAlexander Insdorf
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August 23, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Marlowe Wax (58) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
August 23, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Marlowe Wax (58) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chargers surprised at the deadline by trading green dot starting LB Daiyan Henley to the Broncos. In return, the team got a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder. Over the weekend, the reporting seemed to lean towards the Chargers not selling at the deadline. But as they started listening to calls, they decided to get some draft capital back for the expiring contract linebacker.

With Henley gone, the future of the linebacker position on the roster is in flux. But Henley was already going to be a free agent in need of a contract extension after the season if the team were to have kept him. Denzel Perryman and Troy Dye will also hit free agency at the end of the 2026 campaign. Del'Shawn Phillips and Marlowe Wax are Los Angeles' LBs currently under contract in 2027.

It's Chargers LB Marlowe Wax's time to shine for the rest of the season with Daiyan Henley officially traded away.

Phillips has played a lot this season. He essentially played starter level snaps next to Henley in the absence of veteran Denzel Perryman. After being primarily special teams cogs in 2025, both Phillips and Wax are starting to take on larger roles. And they've performed well up to this point.

Wax played a season-high 22 defensive snaps on Sunday. The former UDFA out of Syracuse continues to impress. He forced an interception on Texans QB C.J. Stroud and was active in run support. It continues a slow ascension up the Chargers' depth chart for Wax over the past two seasons. Once just a nice story as a special teams UDFA who made the roster, Wax has continued to show that he's ready for more than just that role.

For Wax, the last nine games will effectively serve as an audition for what his role should be next year. Dye will still be involved and the team will likely bring back Denzel Perryman off of IR this week. But if the Syracuse product continues to stack good performances, the coaching staff will give him more playing time.

And that's really what the rest of the season should be about given the nonexistent Chargers' playoff hopes. An Akheem Mesidor flash here, a Genesis Smith flash there. Wax falls into that category of future defensive talents that the team should keep on the field to develop over the last nine games.

Wax showed he belonged as an NFL player last season when he made the 53-man roster. In this final stretch of the season without Henley, he has the ability to show he can do even more than that. He still has to execute on that vision. But what we've seen so far this preseason and regular season has been promising.

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