Chargers waive DL Eric Banks, open spot on 53-man roster

The Chargers made a roster move on Thursday.

The Chargers waived defensive lineman Eric Banks on Thursday.

Signed before the start of the 2021 season, Banks appeared in three games, in which he recorded one tackle.

The move opened up a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of the Week 4 matchup against the Raiders.

Los Angeles has a couple of options to replace his roster spot, which includes activating cornerback Ryan Smith, who spent the last three weeks on the injured reserve with a foot injury.

Smith returned to practice on Thursday, and the team now has 21 days to either activate him or leave him on the IR for the remainder of the season.

L.A. could also choose to promote one of Breiden Fehoko or Forrest Merrill from the practice squad to the active roster in hopes of aiding a porous run defense that currently ranks last in the NFL.