Chargers rookie has already made $1.38 million veteran expendable

The NFL is a young man's game. It doesn't matter if you are a veteran on a cheap contract, if there is a young player on your heels with several years of team control then you will be shown the door. LA Chargers safety Tony Jefferson may be staring that reality down heading into 2025. The Chargers took a chance on Jefferson last year after he spent a year away from the game as a scout for the Baltimore Ravens. After one of the most impressive preseason games of all time, Jefferson earned a spot on the Chargers practice squad and ended up playing eight games for the Bolts. His play in those eight games earned him a new one-year, $1.38 million contract with the team. it was a feel-good story for the Chargers that was born out of necessity due to injuries. With a healthy safety room and a new face via sixth-round pick R.J. Mickens, it is no longer necessary to keep Jefferson around. The Chargers drafted Mickens with the No. 214 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's dangerous to tout a sixth-round draft pick before t