The Los Angeles Chargers eye a better second season for their linebacker on the rise.
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Junior Colson is entering his second season in the NFL, where he hopes to have a better year than he did in 2024.
Colson, 22, won a national championship in his final season at Michigan and followed Jim Harbaugh as he came to Los Angeles.
NFL.com writer Dan Parr listed Colson as the player to root for in Los Angeles.
“It seemed like Colson entered the perfect situation to thrive in as a rookie. Unlike almost every other NFL newbie, who gets thrown into the fire while having to learn a whole new system with different terminology from what they knew in college, Colson was drafted by Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter, his head coach and defensive coordinator at Michigan. Unfortunately, health issues interrupted his transition to the pros,” Parr wrote.
“First, he missed the start of training camp while recovering from surgery to have his appendix removed. Then he dealt with hamstring and ankle injuries that limited him to 11 games, with only one start. Yes, it was a rough welcome to the pros. The good news is Harbaugh gave a glowing report last month on Colson’s progress this offseason. I’ll be cheering for a much smoother ride for a player who could become a force on the second level of the Chargers defense in Year 2.
Colson recorded 29 tackles for the Chargers in his rookie year, which was a little less than what he was hoping for as he was coming into the league.
Colson will have a chance to earn a starting role on the Chargers defense in the upcoming season, but veterans Daiyan Henley and Denzel Perryman could challenge him for some snaps.
Once Colson gets healthy, he will have a much stronger impact for the Chargers — and the sooner it happens, the better.