Chargers' Tarheeb Still doesn't sound like he's done breaking out into a star yet

Tarheeb Still is a major part of the reason the Los Angeles Chargers didn’t make major moves in the defensive secondary this offseason. 

Sure, the Chargers added Donte Jackson in free agency to potentially compete for that No. 1 cornerback role. 

But imagining a Chargers team without Tarheeb Still and fellow breakout fifth-rounder Cam Hart would’ve put the franchise in a near-panic state this offseason…perhaps to the point of needing to use a first-round pick on the position, meaning no Omarion Hampton. 

Alas, the Chargers have Still and they already see some serious improvement as he heads into Year 2, with Chargers defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale recently leading the charge on that topic. 

"Tarheeb has done a great job of maturing,” Clinkscale said, according to Eric Smith of the Chargers’ official website. "Overnight it just seems like he's a different person and he's doing a great job…Tarheeb has really done that, he's really grown up and matured. He accepts coaching and criticism, even in a different way. He did last year, too, but it's even better because he had success, so he knows that it works. He's really done a good job."

Yes, there’s some general coachspeak in there that fans have come to expect in June. 

But…the Chargers were saying similar things about Still as a rookie, too. All he did was come in and perform as one of the top cornerbacks on the roster, so perhaps the organization knows a thing or two about the position, right?

If Still can keep improving and Jackson can provide some stability, it becomes much easier to project the Chargers field a top-five defense again in 2025.