The Chargers‘ signing of fifth-year cornerback Benjamin St-Juste may be the epitome of a ‘prove-it’ deal. If he’s going to have a career revival in year five, he’ll need head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to work their magic in the Chargers’ “cornerback rehabilitation factory,” writes ESPN‘s Bill Barnwell.
Chargers’ ‘Cornerback Rehabilitation Factory’ Will Have to Work Their Magic With St-Juste
The Chargers have been somewhat active this offseason, but they haven’t landed any marquee free agents. Their lack of activity does come with a positive, as they have the most cap space in 2026. With $110 million available, LA can be as aggressive as they’ve been in a long time. One of the acquisitions that’s raised eyebrows around the league was their signing of cornerback Benjamin St-Juste.
Bill Barnwell, senior NFL writer at ESPN, included St-Juste in his article about which players benefitted most from a change of scenery. Barnwell believes that St-Juste landing in LA “makes all the sense in the world,” given the reputation of head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as a “cornerback rehabilitation facility.”
“In addition to getting excellent seasons from Day 3 rookies Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still, the Chargers coaxed a solid year from Kristian Fulton and a career season from Elijah Molden, who shifted to safety on a full-time basis with glowing results,” writes Barnwell.
LA lost Kristian Fulton and will likely lose Asante Samuel Jr. this offseason, clearing the way for St-Juste to compete for a starting spot. Although, that starting spot may not be open for long, as Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still will be returning from injury. Plus, LA’s signing of Donte Jackson to a 2-year, $13 million deal likely means Jackson will slot in ahead of St-Juste on the depth chart.
Still, Minter and the Chargers “might feel like there’s more refinement to come to his game with better coaching,” writes Barnwell.
“St-Juste could end the season as a key starter on a potential playoff team or buried in a fourth or fifth cornerback spot,” writes Barnwell. “I’d argue he has more upside than most of the other cornerback signings this offseason.”
St-Juste’s Contract Structure May Show Limited Confidence
During his first four seasons, all with Washington, St-Juste was reliable in terms of staying on the field. He appeared in 54 games and started 45 of them.
Unfortunately, 2024 was the final year of his tenure with the Commanders, as he struggled mightily. He earned an abysmal 46.8 coverage grade from PFF, which was good for 191st out of 222 cornerbacks.
St-Juste likely expected to sign a much larger contract returning to Washington this offseason, but his 1 year, $2.5 million deal with the Chargers has upside for both him and the team.
The Chargers sent a clear message to St-Juste with the contract structure, limiting the guaranteed money to the $1 million signing bonus up-front. Since the signing bonus is the only portion that’s guaranteed, if they want to cut ties with St-Juste, they can do so before the start of the season at no cost.
“The Chargers are not committing anything to St-Juste and if he does not show signs of improving in training camp then the team may cut ties before the 2025 season begins,” writes Jason Reed of BoltBeat. “This is the perfect example of the Chargers paying slightly more to bet on St-Juste’s athletic upside with the hopes he can figure it out under Jesse Minter.”
If St-Juste can turn it around in 2025, the Chargers will have earned their reputation as a “cornerback rehabilitation factory.”
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