Per his agent Mike McCartney, former Cardinals and Titans defensive tackle Naquan Jones has agreed to a one-year deal with the Chargers. This is the second external free agent signed by the Chargers today, both of which have been defensive linemen.
Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh have been relentless in trying to flesh out the roster with low-cost signings. The front office double-dipping on depth along the defensive line is actually very needed, but the group is still missing a headliner. The team re-signed in-house free agent Teair earlier this week, but not a single player in the group has ever been a full-time starter.
For the second consecutive season, the Chargers may be looking at a rotation along the interior while hoping someone plays above their contract, a la Poona Ford in 2024.
Jones entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans following the 2021 NFL Draft. He started five games as a rookie but saw that number shrink to just two starts across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Halfway through 2023, he was waived by the Titans and signed by the Cardinals where he logged one more start on the year.
This past season with the Cardinals, Jones recorded a career-high three sacks and four tackles for loss to go with 27 tackles and two pass breakups.
Coincidentally, Jones is a former member of the 2021 Titans roster, something shared by both safety Elijah Molden and new teammate and fellow defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand.