Christian Covington is staying with the Chargers. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Christian Covington is returning to the Chargers. The team is re-signing the free-agent defensive end, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com.

Following a four-year stint with the Texans to start his career, Covington has bounced around the NFL a bit over the past few years. He had stints with the Cowboys and Bengals before landing in Los Angeles in 2021.

He ended up getting into 16 games (three starts) for the Chargers last season, collecting 52 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. He saw time on 48 percent of the Chargers' defensive snaps, and he also got some run on special teams.

Defensive linemen Justin Jones and Linval Joseph combined for 23 starts last season, but both players are hitting free agency. As a result, Covington could see a larger role next season.

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