7:35pm: The Titans are receiving a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for Molden, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Chargers have since announced that the trade is official.
3:00pm: Another trade will come to pass a day after the 53-man deadline. Following the Saints-Commanders John Ridgeway swap, the Chargers are adding a cornerback from the Titans.
Tennessee is sending Elijah Molden to Los Angeles, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Titans, whose Ernest Jones trade just became official, are expected to acquire a late-round pick for Molden, who is going into a contract year.
The Titans made two big-ticket cornerback investments this offseason, signing Chidobe Awuzie and reaching a tag-and-trade agreement with the Chiefs to bring in L’Jarius Sneed. With Roger McCreary still in the fold, Tennessee is moving on from another homegrown cover man. The team cut former first-rounder Caleb Farley on Tuesday.
As Dennard Wilson‘s defense continues to see changes, the Chargers are adding another corner from the Mike Vrabel–Shane Bowen era. The Bolts agreed to terms with Kristian Fulton in March. Molden and Fulton played together for three years, with the former spending time in the slot early in his career. McCreary mans the slot in Tennessee and will be set to work alongside Sneed and Awuzie. With Molden a 2025 free agent-to-be, the Titans will acquire an asset for a player no longer in their plans.
Molden, 25, started 16 games with the Titans; eight came last season, when he played a career-high 701 defensive snaps. The Titans benched Fulton and did not have Farley’s services throughout the season. During seven of Molden’s eight starts last year, he played 100% of Tennessee’s defensive snaps. The Washington alum also saw time at safety, increasing Bolts DC Jesse Minter‘s options. Though, the Chargers have locked-in safety starters in Derwin James and Alohi Gilman.
Also transitioning to a new scheme, the Chargers have J.C. Jackson dead money on their books and are keeping costs low at corner. Fulton signed a one-year, $3.13MM. Molden remains on his third-round salary, with Asante Samuel Jr. joining him in a contract year. Samuel has played in the slot and outside in L.A. The former second-rounder, who joins Molden in being a second-generation NFL corner, is expected to play on the outside across from Fulton. Ja’Sir Taylor has been the Bolts’ slot; Molden would stand to push the converted safety.
While Asante Samuel Sr. played with the Patriots and Eagles, Molden’s father (Alex) nearly overlapped with Jim Harbaugh in San Diego. For what it’s worth, the Chargers signed the former first-round pick just after Harbaugh’s contract expired. A younger Molden will join the team his father played for from 2001-02, with a chance at using the season as a springboard to free agency.