Now that the Chargers’ season has come to an end, the next thing on their to-do list will be to decide which pending free agents they’re going to re-sign.
Of the 20 players set to hit the open market, some of them made significant contributions in 2021 to warrant being brought back, including edge defender Uchenna Nwosu.
Nwosu spent the first three seasons with Los Angeles in a rotational role behind Melvin Ingram.
Despite averaging 35% of defensive snaps in 45 games, Nwosu still managed to make the most of his playing time – totaling ten sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 59 quarterback pressures, and 44 hurries.
The anticipation for Nwosu as the starter opposite Joey Bosa was high when factoring in the breakout year of Leonard Floyd that Brandon Staley contributed to in 2020.
While he showed flashes, Nwosu did not quite meet those expectations early on.
That was until the Week 13 win over the Bengals when Nwosu finished with seven pressures, four hurries, two sacks, a strip-sack which he recovered, and two quarterback hits when he raised plenty of eyebrows.
From that point, Nwosu made a steady impact down the stretch until the season debut against the Raiders, where he went out with a bang, finishing the game with seven tackles and four for loss.
Nwosu showed to be an integral piece when the team needed him the most, both as a pass rusher and run defender, and someone worthy of being a part of the team’s plan for the foreseeable future.
After finishing with a career-high 30 pressures and five sacks and set to be only 26 years old during the 2022 season, Nwosu’s best playing days are still ahead, and it’s Staley who wants to continue to maximize his talents.
“He’s got the toughness, versatility, and playmaking ability that really fits who we want to be on the edge… I felt like he was able to express his full talents in our system. Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue to work with him,” Staley said.”