Scott Matlock is still quietly pushing to save his Chargers lifeline in training camp

For the most part, the attention for the Los Angeles Chargers in training camp has been on the major position battles.

The competition for the starting left guard spot between Jake Slaughter, Kayode Awosika, and Trevor Penning has obviously been a major storyline. There's also a battle looming between Nadame Tucker and Bud Dupree in the outside linebacker room and even between Derius Davis and KeAndre Lambert-Smith for what might be the fifth wide receiver spot on the roster.

But to this point, it's been assumed that former fullback Scott Matlock has no path to the roster, and he's largely been ignored as an object of attention in training camp. That might be the wrong stance to take.

In his comments on the tight end room on Tuesday, Harbaugh gave a special aside to Matlock, who's working on transitioning to a role as a Y tight end after he was replaced as the team's fullback by Alec Ingold this offseason.

There's likely a steeper path for Matlock to make the roster than Harbaugh will publicly admit. But that doesn't mean he can be outright ignored.

Scott Matlock is still pushing to save his roster spot as training camp ramps up

Since he came into the league, Matlock has been Harbaugh's type of player. Functioning as a defensive tackle during his rookie season, he split snaps between the defense and special teams. He didn't have a clear-cut athletic fit at the position, and it seemed as though his time on the roster might be short-lived.

But when Harbaugh took over, the affinity for Matlock was clear. Rather than have him compete as a full-on defensive lineman, Harbaugh transitioned him to a fullback role. Matlock took 34% of the team's offensive snaps in 2024 and 31% in 2025, helping to execute the between-the-tackle runs that were a staple of Greg Roman's scheme.

Ingold is a clear upgrade at the position, though. He has extensive experience with Mike McDaniel in Miami, and he's a much more refined blocker than Matlock has been at any point in his short career.

A second positional change for any player before the expiration of their rookie contract isn't a great sign. But it speaks volumes to how versatile Harbaugh believes Matlock truly is.

Their established trio of Oronde Gadsden II, David Njoku, and Charlie Kolar will take the bulk of snaps at the position. Kolar is the team's best blocker, and Njoku offers a solid mix of blocking upside and pass catching experience that will perfectly complement Gadsden's explosive play ability. If Matlock were to have any role at all, it would be as an additional blocker and occasional pass catcher to supplement McDaniel's heavy personnel efforts.

In all likelihood, Matlock is destined for a practice squad role— with elevation to the main roster being a real possibility if one of Gadsden, Kolar, or Njoku suffers an injury. But until it's all said and done, Harbaugh's affinity for him means we can't count him out of any looming roster competition, at least not entirely.

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