The Los Angeles Chargers have a lot of important decisions to make about their own players and free agency this offseason.

There are questions about whether Khalil Mack and/or Keenan Allen should return, or whether it's time for them to make way for younger players on the roster. There are also questions about which, if any, of these offensive linemen should be brought back on new contracts after a historically bad season across the board.

One question, which is really two questions, is what decisions will the team make in regard to their defensive secondary?

Benjamin St-Juste is the first question. He signed with the Chargers on a one-year deal that paid him $2.5 million in 2025. He subsequently played the best football of his career in a limited role.

St-Juste had played on 89%, 97% and 77% of the defensive snaps for the Washington Commanders in the three previous seasons before playing on just 37% of the defensive snaps for Los Angeles.

Part of the issue was good injury luck. Donte Jackson and Cam Hart each played in 16 games (or more) during the regular season, leaving no space open on the outside for St-Juste to get an opportunity.

Another part is just how the Chargers work as a defense. In base, Derwin James is the team's strong safety. In nickel, which is what the team is going to be in most of the time on passing downs and against pass-heavy offenses, James slides down to the nickel CB spot and Tony Jefferson plays strong safety.

The question the Chargers will have to answer is how much they value St-Juste, and my guess is that there are other places that value him enough to pay him more and give him a larger opportunity.

Speaking of Jefferson, though...

Tony Jefferson was very good, specifically against the pass, in 2025. He's also 34-years old and just two seasons removed from being "retired NFL player Tony Jefferson".

After signing back-to-back one-year deals worth $1.3M and $1.25M, it's pretty obvious that there are only two ways this works out.

Either the Chargers and Jefferson will come to an agreement on another one-year deal of similar value, or Jefferson will retire again from the National Football League. Considering how good he has been the last two years, I sincerely hope that it's the former.

That being said, the Chargers may want to start thinking about what happens when they reach the offseason where Jefferson says no.

Does James just stay at strong safety on passing downs? That would require some sort of investment into the nickel CB spot.

Or would the team be better off developing a player to eventually take Jefferson's role so that James can continue to play this way? I don't think Elijah Molden or R.J. Mickens fit that mold, so that may require using a draft pick on it in this year's NFL Draft.