Chargers' young star is the reason Asante Samuel Jr. is probably a goner

The Los Angeles Chargers entered the offseason with several key defensive backs hitting free agency, with the most prominent names being Asante Samuel Jr., Kristian Fulton and Elijah Molden.

The Chargers re-signed Molden before free agency even started, but watched as Fulton joined the Kansas City Chiefs. Then there is Samuel, who still remains a free agent but probably won't be re-upping with Los Angeles.

Why? Well, because the Chargers have one of the brightest young stars that no one is talking about: cornerback Tarheeb Still.

Los Angeles selected Still in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he ended up playing a significant role in the Chargers' secondary during his rookie campaign. In 14 games, he racked up 62 tackles, four interceptions, 10 passes defended and a defensive touchdown.

Additionally, Still registered a 73.7 overall grade at Pro Football Focus, posting a 73.3 coverage grade. That put him in some pretty solid company.

Taking that into consideration, it's no surprise that Los Angeles didn't fret about Fulton walking to the Chiefs, nor do the Bolts seem to care all that much about Samuel leaving. They signed Donte Jackson as a replacement, and it seems pretty obvious they want Still starting on the other side.

It's also important to keep in mind that Samuel was limited to just four games in 2024 due to a shoulder injury, and yet, the Chargers still ranked seventh in the league in passing defense. So perhaps LA really doesn't need Samuel.

Still is certainly not a household name, but his impressive production in Year 1 is surely a big reason why Los Angeles has felt comfortable permitting a couple of its top defensive backs to depart.