The Los Angeles Chargers enjoyed a resurgent season that few saw coming, transforming from a five-win team into a playoff squad in Jim Harbaugh's first year as head coach.
There is a strong foundation on both sides of the ball, but now it's time for Harbaugh to exert greater influence to build the roster in his image. On Thursday, Los Angeles announced their first big re-signing of the offseason, signing 26-year-old defensive back Elijah Molden to a three-year extension worth $18.25 million.
It's an interesting move because of what it means for the rest of the secondary. Molden played the second-most snaps at safety for the team though was outsnapped by Alohi Gilman when the latter was healthy. With Gilman entering the last season of his deal, re-signing Molden raises questions about what the organization intends to do next.
Sources: Free agent CB Elijah Molden is signing a 3-year extension with the #Chargers worth $18.25M. He gets a healthy $13.5M in guarantees as well.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 21, 2025
A well deserved deal for Molden, who comes off a stellar season — recording a career-high 3 INTs and 2 FR. pic.twitter.com/NEWX4eKX0U
Chargers Re-Sign Elijah Molden, Put Pressure on Alohi Gilman
Los Angeles ranked fifth in opponent yards per pass attempt (6.3), so the status quo clearly worked for the most part. The defense faltered down the stretch, but that aligned with respective injuries for both Molden and Gilman.
It's possible the organization intends to re-sign Gilman as well. However, they'd then have money tied up to Derwin James, Molden, and Gilman. Committing to three safeties is rare and based on the other holes on the roster, that feels like an unlikely possibility.
That puts significant pressure on Gilman this summer and during the season should an extension not be reached. He ranked 129 out of 170 qualified safeties at Pro Football Focus, surrendering a 118.5 passer rating when targeted in coverage.
Gilman still has time to prove that he deserves to stay in Los Angeles. Actions speak louder than words though, and the Chargers are seemingly already preparing to kick Gilman to the curb next year. Unless he has a big year, expect him to be in a different uniform after the 2025 season.