Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh makes pretty shocking admission about defense before Week 4

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t one to give up some intel in interviews. 

But Harbaugh did just that this week while talking about his defensive secondary, headlined by star safety Derwin James. 

Speaking with reporters before the Week 4 game against the New York Giants, Harbaugh admitted that even when the injured Elijah Molden comes back, he’s really not looking forward to taking veteran Tony Jefferson off the field. 

Talk about a win for Jefferson, who the Chargers risked exposing to the practice squad at final cuts, only to reward him with a roster spot just a few weeks ago once injuries hit the roster. 

Ideally, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter continues to find a way to creatively rotate safeties across the defense, including Alohi Gilman, too. Molden re-upping this offseason was due to his play and the versatility it afforded the unit to let James play inside and closer to the line of scrimmage. 

We’ll have to wait and see how that all shakes out with Jefferson seeing a healthy dose of playing time, too. But the veteran continues to show how downright indispensable he is, both for his play and the way he fits that Harbaugh culture, even when he’s on the sidelines or in the locker room.