The Chargers’ Defensive Skeleton Key is Back After Latest Injury Report

Is Jim Harbaugh The Real Life Ted Lasso?

When the Chargers acquired Molden from Tennessee last summer for a 2026 seventh-round pick, the move barely registered across the league. Yet within days of arriving, Molden proved indispensable. He debuted just 11 days after the trade, stepped into a starting role by Week 2 due to an injury to Alohi Gilman, and snagged his first interception immediately.

Although Derwin James Jr. and Gilman were the established starters, Molden’s instincts and ball skills forced coaches to rethink the depth chart. “We got three safeties that start for us,” defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale said. “And he’s one of them.”

That three-safety alignment has since become the bedrock of the Chargers’ defensive rise. By season’s end, Molden had tallied three interceptions, seven passes defensed, and career-best marks in nearly every advanced metric. His presence freed James to move around the formation, wrecking games from the slot or at the line of scrimmage.

Why He’s the Skeleton Key

Molden’s value isn’t tied to one position. Drafted as a nickel corner in 2021, he has grown into a safety who can disguise coverages, blitz like a linebacker, or blanket receivers in the slot. In many ways, he gives the Chargers the flexibility to be multiple without substituting.

“Last year I kind of had to learn on the fly,” Molden said. “Now I’m just really comfortable with my alignment and all the aspects of the position. It’s so engrained in me that I can focus on what the offense is doing and what the coordinators are trying to play chess.”

His ability to read and react quickly has already produced game-turning moments. Former Titans teammate Kristian Fulton still recalls a preseason play when Molden literally crawled under two offensive linemen to sack Tampa Bay quarterback Kyle Trask. That blend of creativity and relentlessness remains his calling card.

“If you guys can see the work that he puts in, the preparation, the attention to detail, it really makes a lot of sense why he goes out there and makes a lot of plays,” cornerback Tarheeb Still said. “He takes his craft very serious.”

The Mental Edge

Beyond the numbers, Molden has also become a respected voice in the locker room. On Saturdays, when defensive players rotate giving pregame messages, Molden reminded teammates that nearly all of them had been told at some point why they couldn’t succeed. For him, it was Tennessee moving on before he was ready.

“The reason why I’m here now is because I feel like a team didn’t believe in me,” Molden said. “I believed that my best football was ahead of me, and I wanted to play ball and achieve my goals. Like, why not? I’m here doing that.”

That perspective has resonated. Far from bitter about his Titans exit, Molden embraced the Chargers as his best-case scenario. He recently signed a multi-year extension, cementing his future in Los Angeles. “It was the best-case scenario for me and my family,” Molden said. “A huge blessing.”

Health and Outlook

Molden’s 2024 season ended with a broken leg and a meniscus injury, both surgically repaired by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. But the 26-year-old insisted the longer recovery was the right call for his career longevity. “Broken bones heal fast,” Molden said. “We did what was best for my knee … I want to have a long career.”

Now fully cleared, Molden is back at the center of a defense ranked near the top of the league in points allowed. With games looming against five of the NFL’s top seven scoring offenses, his return couldn’t come at a better time.

As safeties coach Adam Fuller put it: “His burst and the way he plays around the ball, he’s really instinctual, he’s super smart, he cares a lot. I think he should be set for a great year.”

Bottom Line

For all the Chargers’ stars — from Justin Herbert under center to Derwin James patrolling the secondary — Molden is the connector piece. He’s the skeleton key who makes the system work, the player who gives Los Angeles the ability to disguise, adapt, and attack.

With him back on the field Friday, the Chargers aren’t just healthier. They’re whole.