Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, former Ravens safety Tony Jefferson will try out for the Chargers’ roster at a mandatory minicamp this month. Jefferson recently came out of retirement after working as a scouting intern for the Ravens last season.
After a four-year stint with Baltimore, Jefferson most recently played with the Giants in 2022. In March 2023, he formally announced his retirement, prior to his most recent reversal of that decision.
The connections are obvious. Jefferson coming in for a rotational role on the Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz Chargers makes sense on paper. As previously mentioned, the connections with Hortiz go even further after Jefferson worked in the Ravens’ scouting department that he oversaw in 2024.
Prior to a potential Jefferson signing, the safety room is currently unproven in depth behind Derwin James and Alohi Gilman. AJ Finley and JT Woods are the Bolts’ third and fourth safeties on the depth chart. Finley spent most of 2023 between the practice squad, promotion, and full-time roster, while Woods missed a large portion of the season with an undisclosed illness. It’s safe to say the Chargers could use some depth at the position with two open roster spots left.
While other options like Quandre Diggs or Justin Simmons are on the market, it appears the Chargers are opting for a bit of organizational familiarity in addition to experience with Jefferson’s tryout. At age 32, he’ll attempt a career comeback that few former NFL players end up completing after unretiring.
