Los Angeles Chargers Abruptly Cut Ties With 2 Playmakers

The Los Angeles Chargers have moved on from two tight ends, waiving Hayden Rucci and releasing Evan Svoboda from the practice squad’s injured list.

The transactions, announced by the team, further trim depth at a position that has seen considerable turnover this season amid injuries to several other players.

Rucci, a 25-year-old undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, had joined the Chargers in September after the team signed him off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad.

His path to Los Angeles was anything but linear.

He originally signed with the Miami Dolphins following the 2024 draft, made the active roster out of camp, and then bounced between the active roster and practice squad.

A brief claim by the Detroit Lions in 2025 was followed by a return to Miami, a stint with the San Francisco 49ers on a futures deal, and a preseason waiver by the 49ers before landing in Jacksonville.

With the Chargers, Rucci appeared in six games and recorded his lone catch of the season—a 7-yard touchdown from Justin Herbert against the Denver Broncos.

That score marked the first of his career, but limited opportunities and the team’s roster management led to his release.

Svoboda’s departure is more straightforward yet still noteworthy for an undrafted rookie.

The 23-year-old former Wyoming player began his college career as a quarterback before transitioning to tight end for the 2025 season, where he caught 11 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown.

Signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent, he was waived during final roster cuts in late August, re-signed to the practice squad the following day, and later placed on the practice squad injured list with an undisclosed injury.

He never appeared in a regular-season game.

His athletic profile, including a strong relative athletic score that ranked among the better marks for tight ends historically, had drawn interest, but the injury and roster realities ended his time in Los Angeles for now.

Both Rucci and Svoboda will now look for opportunities elsewhere, with Rucci’s prior experience across multiple organizations potentially aiding his search for a new landing spot.