Derwin James Jr., coming off yet another All-Pro campaign, will become an unrestricted free agent after next season. The Chargers should extend their heart and soul on defense.
Derwin James Jr. is a player in his prime under contract for one more year. Which means he’ll be playing for a new contract, coming off one of his best campaigns. When he signed it, his four-year contract, averaging 19 million a year in salary, was the most lucrative for a safety in NFL history. He's coming off a second straight second-team All-Pro season, and he’s no stranger to this honor, having also been named first-team All-Pro before. One of the highlights of the impressive season he just completed was in week 3. He was named the AFC defensive player of the week. That was when he compiled 12 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss and a sack.
Over the season, he had 13 Quarterback pressures, which ranked third among all safeties. He definitely knows how to bring the heat. His 3 interceptions were also tied for a career best for the Chargers' defensive back.
Continuity is critical for the Chargers as they move on in the Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh era. Joey Bosa is gone, and having their heart-and-soul, James Jr., in their defensive backfield is an advantage they shouldn’t let come to an end. He’s the quarterback of their defense, playing the pass and the run with amazing authority. According to Pro Football Focus, he had a 68.4 passer rating against him when he was defending potential pass-catchers.
A model of consistency, a Chargers lifer, the Bolts should keep him in blue and yellow and reward him with a new contract or extension. After all, he’s part of the unit that allowed only 16 points for the dangerous Patriots offense in a playoff game. As one of the team captains in several seasons, including the last two, the 29-year-old safety is both experienced and still has good years ahead of him.
Since he came into the league in 2018, he has had multiple coaches and limited playoff success. Now with Harbaugh at the helm, and a superstar talent at quarterback, this next season will be make-or-break for James Jr. as well in terms of his extension and finally getting a second postseason win. He only won in his rookie postseason campaign in the wildcard round versus Baltimore. He has also been a part of three ugly postseason defeats in the Herbert era. He’ll want ot get that taste out of his mouth and have some playoff success.
It’s going to be exciting to follow him next year.