5 former Chargers who are still having trouble finding a job

Joshua Kelley

There are quite a few former Chargers from the 2023 team that are still without a team but it really is not worth diving into the players who are backend roster fillers or practice squad guys. Out of all the 2023 Chargers without a job, Joshua Kelley is definitely the most prolific.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Kelley could never quite find his footing as a consistent back for the Chargers. His career was as start and stop as it gets. It started off on a great foot in his first-ever game but that ended up being his career highlight for his first three seasons in the league.

It looked like Kelley was primed for a big season as the Chargers' RB2 in 2023 when he started the year with a monster game against the Miami Dolphins. With Austin Ekeler suffering an ankle injury, Kelley got the chance to prove that he can be a consistent weapon for a good offense.

That is not what happened as Kelley's Week 1 ended up being his best game of the season. While he had some breakout moments that were fun to cheer for, he simply did not show the consistency to warrant getting a contract early in free agency.

Kelley probably won't sign until after May 1, which is when he will no longer count against the compensatory formula. Even then, he is going to be battling for a backend roster spot and might not even be on an active roster by the time the 2024 season begins.