General manager Joe Hortiz tabbed it a high priority that Derwin James remains a member of the Los Angeles Chargers for life.
The Chargers and James on Tuesday took a colossal step forward in making that happen.
James and Los Angeles agreed to terms on a three-year, $75.6 million extension with $57.1 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The Chargers subsequently announced a multiyear extension with James.
With an average annual salary of $25.2 million in his new years, James supplants the Baltimore Ravens' Kyle Hamilton ($25.1 million per year) as the league's highest-paid safety per APY.
The 29-year-old James was headed into the final year of his contract, leading Hortiz to proclaim re-signing the five-time Pro Bowler as a matter of the utmost importance. Clearly, the GM meant what he said as James, a 2018 first-round pick, has now signed his second extension with the club.
An All-Pro as a rookie, James flourished under then-head coach Anthony Lynn, then Brandon Staley and finally his current coach Jim Harbaugh. Through the changing times in L.A., James has been a constant outside of missing all of 2020 with a knee injury.
Able to line up all over the field and don a variety of hats, James is the only defensive back with 30-plus QB hits, 30-plus tackles for loss and 30-plus passes defensed over the past five seasons, according to .
James' 2025 Pro Bowl campaign saw him tally 94 tackles, three interceptions, seven passes defensed, two sacks, six tackles for loss and eight QB hits, providing a statistical portrait of an all-around all-star DB.
Sensational statistics and being a hugely valuable chess piece for a top-10 defense last season aren't the whole story, though, as James' leadership has been significant for the Bolts and will now continue to be well past 2026.
