Chargers continue to clean house: Goodbye, Sebastian Joseph-Day
The Chargers’ rebuild for 2024 continued Friday morning when they waived Sebastian Joseph-Day, one of their captains.
The veteran defensive lineman was in the second year of a three-year contract he signed in March 2022. The deal included $16.5 million fully guaranteed and no guaranteed salary after this season.
Joseph-Day, 28, was brought in by former head coach Brandon Staley, the two having worked together in 2020 with the Rams. Staley was fired last week, along with Tom Telesco, who was in his 11th year as the Chargers’ general manager.
In another move later in the day, the Chargers signed quarterback Max Duggan to the active roster. Selected in the seventh round at No. 239 overall in April out of Texas Christian, Duggan had been released Monday before the team signed quarterback Will Grier from New England’s practice squad.
A sixth-round pick of the Rams in 2018, Joseph-Day started all 30 games he played with the Chargers, finishing with 87 tackles and five sacks.
Veterans such as Khalil Mack and Eric Kendricks are embarrassed by the Chargers’ performance that led to the firing of Brandon Staley, who hired them.
With the dismissals of Staley and Telesco, the Chargers promoted Giff Smith to interim head coach and JoJo Wooden to interim general manager.
Along with finding permanent replacements at both positions, the Chargers will have to answer significant roster questions this offseason while navigating salary cap and dead money issues.
Veteran stars such as Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams all face particularly uncertain futures. So, too, do Eric Kendricks and Morgan Fox, who were both handpicked by Staley.
The Chargers’ impending unrestricted free agents include Austin Ekeler, Gerald Everett and Kenneth Murray Jr.
What the Chargers new coach and general manager will inherit. Their costly, unsuccessful roster needs to be revamped and some big names might have to go.
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