5 Chargers Whose Time in L.A. Will End After the Wild Card Round Loss

4. Denzel Perryman - LB

After spending the first six years of his career with the Chargers, Perryman left for a few seasons before returning to Los Angeles. Injuries sadly limited him to 11 games and while he started each one, compiling 55 tackles and a sack in the process, his weaknesses became more apparent as the year went on.

Perryman is still excellent in coverage but struggles against the run, ranking 167th out of 189 linebackers in run defense grade at Pro Football Focus. While the Chargers were a top-five defense against the pass, they were 27th in opponent yards per rush (4.7).

In order for this unit to take the next step, Los Angeles needs better run-stoppers at linebacker. Perryman is already 32 years old and has enjoyed a nice career, though at this point it's hard to trust him as a key piece of the defense.

Somewhat ironically, Perryman's single-best season came with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. He notched 154 tackles en route to a Pro Bowl nomination, though it seems those heights are behind him.

Who exactly will replace the departing free agent isn't clear, yet the Chargers should have plenty of options across the league. A key theme of this offseason will be aging veterans leaving in favor of young talent. Perryman won't be an exception to that rule.