There is a lot of talent on the LA Chargers' roster heading into the 2022 season and some of that talent is going to be elevated by the fact that they are in contract years. Contract years also seem to give players a little bit extra juice as they are playing for their next payday. Just look at Kyzir White, although he did not get that big of a contract.
Overall, there are 16 players on the Chargers who will be unrestricted free agents following the 2022 season. Most of those players are depth pieces with a quarter of the 16 being notable. These players are entering the most important year of their careers as they are hoping to secure the bag next spring.
4 notable Chargers who are entering contract years in 2022:
1. Derwin James
The most notable of them all, Derwin James is set to be a free agent after the 2022 season and you know that the Chargers are going to do whatever they can to keep him around. There is still the possibility of the Bolts signing him to an extension before the season begins.
While James is undoubtedly one of the best safeties in the game and is hugely important to the team, it is hard to blame the Chargers for being cautious in signing him before the 2022 season. After all, James has almost missed as many games as he has played in four years and his injury history extends to college as well.
If James can stay relatively healthy then he is going to get a blank check after the season with no questions asked. While some fans may want to just lock him up before the season to risk him leaving, it is better for the long-term future of the team to wait for this season to play out.
2. Nasir Adderley
Sticking at the safety position, Nasir Adderley is also a free agent after this season and his value looks like it is going to be much higher than we ever could have guessed 12 months ago. Adderley had two really disappointing seasons to start his NFL career but really came around and started showcasing that potential in 2021 in Brandon Staley's defense.
If Adderley continues to get better, which we have no reason to think he won't, then he could end up getting a contract similar to Rayshawn Jenkins after his breakout 2020 season. Adderley's ceiling is arguably higher than Jenkins' already and there will be a team that is desperate for safety help and pays him.
This is an issue for the Bolts. Los Angeles does not have the most cap flexibility in the world next offseason and with a massive contract soon coming to Justin Herbert, the Chargers are going to have to make sacrifices in certain areas and let people get paid elsewhere.
Adderley is a prime candidate to get an offer that the Chargers simply cannot match and sign with another team. While he also helps the defense this year, JT Woods was likely drafted with this in the back of the front office's mind.
And if Adderley has a bad season then the Chargers likely won't bring him back anyway as three of his four years would be bad years. Either way, it feels inevitable that this is Nasir Adderley's last season with the Chargers so fans of his should embrace it.
3. Drue Tranquill
Drue Tranquill has had a very interesting career thus far with the LA Chargers. Tranquill turned in a really promising rookie season in 2019 in which he played at a really high level on the special teams side of the football. Tranquill was many people's choice for the breakout player of the year on the Chargers in 2020 as a result.
Tranquill never got to have that breakout season as he quickly suffered a broken ankle in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tranquill would miss the entire 2020 season, returning in 2021 in a new-look defense led by Brandon Staley.
There was still some excitement around what Tranquill could bring defensively and while he was fine, he was not anything overly special. Tranquill is not a bad football player but he certainly has not lived up to the high expectations that were slapped on him after his rookie season.
The 2022 season is an interesting one for Tranquill as he should have a starting job locked in. However, Brandon Staley does not value linebackers much in his defense and with Kenneth Murray and the versatile Derwin James (as well as Troy Reeder), Tranquill may not get as big of a role as he is potentially hoping for.
The Chargers let Kyzir White walk for a measly $3 million this offseason so it seems likely that Tranquill is entering his last season with the Chargers looking to earn a new deal with another team next spring.
4. Jerry Tillery
Jerry Tillery is entering a contract year with the Chargers and he is going to have to prove his worth if he wants to get any sort of deal after the 2022 season. No matter what there will be a team that is willing to take a flier on a former first-round pick that is young but if Tillery wants to get paid he needs to turn it around.
Tillery has arguably been the worst first-round pick that Tom Telesco has made as the Chargers' GM. Granted, he is the latest pick Telesco has made and he came in a relatively thin draft class. Regardless, Tillery has not been what the Chargers were hoping for.
Tillery has had his moments where he lives up to his potential but overall, he has not been the pass-rushing menace on the inside that the Bolts thought they were getting. Not only that, but Tillery is so bad against the run that it negates any positive impact that he brings on passing downs.
Tillery did not show up for the first week of voluntary OTAs and the Chargers have completely rebuilt the defensive line. He is not a Staley pick and it would not be shocking if he does not get much playing time if he continues to play at the same level.
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This is another player that seems destined to leave the Chargers after the 2022 season. He will either turn it around and some overzealous team will pay him more than he deserves. Or he will continue to struggle and the Chargers won't bring him back regardless. Pick your poison.