The locker room, the weight room, the film room, the athletic training room and the practice field have been jammed with Chargers for days, weeks and months, but that’s all about to change. The Chargers’ preseason finale is Thursday night against the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
It will be the final chance for many to prove they belong on the initial 53-man roster, which will be set by the NFL’s deadline Sunday. Some cemented their positions long ago, but others will have to perform well against the Rams and keep their fingers crossed.
A practice squad can be established starting Monday, a second chance for those who don’t make the initial roster. These will be tough days for the roughly 40 players who won’t make the cut, but they will be memorable ones for those who were on the bubble and yet made the team.
“It’s that time in camp when the facility is about to be a lot more empty after that game,” backup quarterback Trey Lance said the other day, speaking to the sudden absence of so many teammates who had been Chargers since spring practices. “It’s a hard time, but I’ll just do my job.”
Backup quarterback is one of several positions that will be showcased during Thursday’s preseason finale, with Lance battling with DJ Uiagalelei for the job. Lance won the competition last season and is favored to do so again, with Uiagalelei likely ticketed for the practice squad again.
It can be a thankless job.
Lance played three games in relief of Justin Herbert and then started the regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos with head coach Jim Harbaugh deciding to rest most of his starters, including Herbert, in anticipation of an AFC wild-card appearance the following week.
Uiagalelei didn’t take a regular-season snap in his rookie season in 2025.
It was and continues to be a learning experience for him. If the Chargers cut him, another team could sign him and, if not, he could land on the practice squad and continue to improve his game. Injuries are always possible and he could find himself in a game, making his NFL debut.
After a well-traveled collegiate career that took him from Clemson to Oregon State to Florida State, Uiagalelei signed with the Chargers as a free agent in the offseason in 2025. Positioned behind Herbert, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and Lance on the depth chart wasn’t easy.
“I feel like I’ve made strides,” said Uiagalelei, a standout at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower before starting his whirlwind college career. “I’m definitely better. Since when I came here as a rookie to where I am now, I definitely am. I feel like I put in the work and I feel like I try to get better each and every day.
“I’ve definitely grown since I’ve been here.”
Uiagalelei credited Shane Day, the Chargers’ quarterbacks coach, for treating him as an equal to Herbert and Lance. He said he’s been able to elevate his play in practice and in two preseason games so far this month, but also in general knowledge of the game of football.
“My football knowledge has grown a ton,” he said. “I feel like that essential football knowledge has helped me out on the field. I’ve spent a lot of hours working with Coach Day working on stuff, just inside the building, in the film room, on the field, and for me, I couldn’t have asked for a better quarterback coach.”
Their connection might or might not be severed by Sunday, though.
It can be a difficult time for coaches, too, seeing the players they’ve worked so closely with since the spring go to other teams or simply go home without any further NFL prospects ahead. It also can be a joyful time, watching players make an unexpected showing and make the 53-man squad.
“It’s both,” Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said of cutdown day. “In the NFL, it’s cutdown day, but on the flip side, you’re giving a guy his dream job. You’re telling somebody they made the team. And that’s just the nature of the business. So, rather than get too down about that, it hurts, but I also feel a lot of joy for the guys who worked hard on making the team.”
Preseason: Rams at Chargers
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/Radio: KCBS Ch. 2, KCAL Ch. 9/KFI 640 AM, ESPN LA 710 AM