It’s that time of the year where we began to evaluate the Chargers’ internal free agents. The front office has several decisions to make this offseason, and it begins with who to retain amongst its own.
Below are five players that Los Angeles should end up letting walk this offseason:
WE Joshua Palmer
It was a disappointing 2024 campaign for the Tennessee product. In a year in which Los Angeles needed him to take a step forward, he simply failed to do so. In 15 games, he registered 39 catches and 584 receiving yards, good for 15.0 yards per reception. Palmer’s 60.0% catch rate and one touchdown were both career worsts, while his measly 38.9 yards per contest was his lowest number since his 2021 rookie campaign. While wideout remains a need for this team, the front office will be better suited going after a wideout in both the draft and free agency.
C Bradley Bozeman
With all due respect, Bozeman should be the most obvious decision amongst this group. Joe Hortiz recently stated that the team has had discussions about bringing him back already, and the veteran doesn’t seem opposed to it either. Unless if it’s for a role as a backup, re-signing Bozeman would be a mistake. He was consistently the biggest weakness along the offensive line in 2024, and it’s time to find a younger, longer-term option at center.
TE Hayden Hurst
Hurst signed a one-year deal with the Chargers last offseason, and that should end up being the duration of his time in Los Angeles. The 31-year-old is a shell of his younger self and the numbers reflect such. Hurst had a career lows in catches (8), yards (73), while also failing to reach the endzone for the first time in his career. Tight end is a major need for this team, and Hurst is not apart of the short or long-term plans whatsoever.
CB Asante Samuel Jr.
A year ago, moving on from him would seem like a questionable decision. The 2021 second-rounder started 43 games in his first three seasons with the team and became the team’s most reliable cornerback throughout. Unfortunately, injuries got the best of him in 2024, and he played in just four games. Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still came on as rookies and figure to be a huge part of this team’s secondary in the future.
Pro Football Focus projects a three-year, $43.5 million deal for Samuel with $26.5 million guaranteed. This team simply has bigger needs at this point, and he’s not worth that kind of money, especially with the growth of Hart and Still. Bringing back someone like Kristian Fulton for cheaper seems like a better business move.
LB Denzel Perryman
Perryman returned to Los Angeles in 2024 on a one-year deal to start 11 games and put up 55 total tackles. Unfortunately, he’s missed a double-digit number of games over the last two years and can’t seem to stay healthy. Age isn’t on his side either, as he recently turned 32 years old. With Daiyan Henley already locked in as one of the starters in the middle, the Chargers can find someone younger and more reliable than Perryman in free agency.