Outside linebacker Caleb Murphy was one of the most impactful special teams players on the LA Chargers earlier this season. Yet the Chargers still felt comfortable enough to waive him when Denzel Perryman returned back in mid-October.
The move was highly criticized at the time, as the Chargers' special teams unit was also struggling at the time. With other candidates to waive on the roster, fans couldn't wrap their minds around the idea of waiving Murphy and forcing Tuli Tuipulotu to play more special teams.
This confusion was amplified when the New England Patriots instantly claimed Murphy off waivers. New England valuing Murphy's special teams ability enough to claim him off waivers made the Chargers' decision look even worse.
Well, fast forward two months and the Patriots have just come to the same conclusion as the Chargers. New England signed linebacker Chad Muma off the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad and waived Murphy to make room.
Caleb Murphy suffers the same fate on the Patriots that he did the Chargers
Maybe the Chargers waiving Murphy wasn't as unprecedented as we all thought at the time. Murphy played a similar role on the Patriots as a special teams ace, but it clearly wasn't enough give him job security throughout the season.
For the second time in two months, Murphy didn't pass through waivers. In fact, he was claimed by the team with the No. 1 priority on the waiver wire: the New York Giants. Murphy's tenure in New England didn't last long, but he clearly still has value in the league.
Just like the Chargers, the Patriots will move on and probably won't notice much of a difference. Murphy is a talented special teams player but he's not irreplaceable. The Chargers learned that firsthand after parting ways.
Would it have been better roster management to waive someone like Bud Dupree who is not as impactful? Probably. But the Chargers at least showed that the panic around waiving Murphy was just that: panic. It turns out that losing a rotational special teams player doesn't actually derail an entire season.
Murphy now lands on his third team in the 2025 season and has two shots at earning a Super Bowl ring. New England has already locked up a postseason spot while the Chargers have all but clinched a spot after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15.
The way we all reacted after Murphy was waived, you would have thought this wasn't possible for the Chargers.