The towering presence of outside linebacker Joey Bosa will be absent from the Chargers’ training camp when they hit the field Thursday in El Segundo, heralding a new era for their defense. Bosa, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 280 pounds, was a fixture in powder blue, dating to their final year in San Diego in 2016.
But when the Chargers released him in March, it created salary cap flexibility and opened an opportunity for Tuli Tuipulotu to move into an enhanced role. General manager Joe Hortiz used the extra capital to increase the Chargers’ depth and created a chance for the former USC star to shine.
Bosa landed on his feet with a one-year, $12.6-million deal with the Buffalo Bills.
The Chargers moved on, too, adding depth and experience to a defense that was top-ranked in the NFL last season, giving up an average of only 17.7 points per game. It remains to be seen whether they can be as good or better for the 2025 season, but it won’t be for a lack of trying.
Tuipulotu will be given an opportunity to move into a starter’s role, playing opposite fellow outside linebacker Khalil Mack, who signed a one-season contract worth a guaranteed $18 million to continue his Hall of Fame-caliber career for a 12th season and his fourth with the Chargers.
Tuipulotu will be 23 when the Chargers kick off their season against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 5 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Mack will be 34. So you can see where this is going for this coming season and beyond. Tuipulotu will get a crack at establishing himself as one of the Chargers’ defensive pillars.
Bosa, Mack and Tuipulotu played in a rotation of sorts during the 2024, with Tuipulotu starting while Bosa was sidelined by an injury for three games. Tuipulotu led the Chargers with 8.5 sacks. Mack had six sacks, down from a career-high 17 in 2023, and Bosa had five.
The outside linebacker corps would appear to be set for the 2025 season. Bud Dupree, 32, signed a two-year, $6-million extension as a depth player.
Safety Derwin James Jr. is another of the team’s defensive pillars, and the Chargers’ depth at safety was further solidified when Elijah Molden signed a three-year, $18.75-million deal in February. James, Molden and Alohi Gilman formed a solid foundation for the defensive backfield during 2024, and there’s no reason to expect anything different for 2025.
Veteran safety Tony Jefferson re-signed for a second year with the Chargers after retiring and spending the 2023 season as a scout with the Baltimore Ravens.
There are spots up for grabs at the cornerback, linebacker and defensive line positions between the start of camp and the season-opening game, however. The only thing for certain is nothing is for certain, especially at cornerback, where the Chargers moved on from Asante Samuel Jr.
Samuel was unsigned as of Tuesday, although he had been linked to the Miami Dolphins for many weeks dating to spring workouts.
Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still played key roles as rookies and fellow fifth-round draft picks last season. They’re likely to become full-time starters with Samuel gone and veteran Kristian Fulton having parlayed a strong 2024 season into a two-year, $20-million contract with the Chiefs.
Hortiz also signed cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Benjamin St-Juste.
Linebacker Daiyan Henley had a breakout season in his second year after the Chargers drafted him in the third round in 2023, and there’s zero reason to believe he won’t anchor the inside of their defense in 2025. Who joins him at inside linebacker remains to be determined, though.
There also will be intense competition for starting positions on the defensive line after Poona Ford signed a three-year, $29.6-million contract with the Rams in March. Ford was a key figure in the Chargers’ run defense. Teair Tart did re-sign with the Chargers on a one-year deal, however.
Hortiz also drafted defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell from Oregon in the third round and signed free agents Da’Shawn Hand and Naquan Jones to compete for the openings created by the departures of Ford and Morgan Fox, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
The bottom line when it comes to the Chargers’ defense heading into training camp is that there are plenty of chances for players to win starting positions and greatly enhance their profiles while at the same time building a solid foundation for a second consecutive highly ranked unit.