Though it’s not yet time for training camp and the Los Angeles Chargers‘ 53-man roster has not yet been established, former USC Trojans EDGE, Tuli Tuipulotu, who’s had such great production since his rookie year, will certainly be on it.
Below are some predictions for how his 2025 season could go:
Predictions For Chargers EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu
Will Have The Most Quarterback Sacks Of The Team
Looking at the combined regular and postseason stats, PFF (Pro Football Focus) has outside linebackers Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu tied with the same number of quarterback sacks last year (nine), while ESPN has Tuipulotu beating Mack by .5.
Tuipulotu at least matched Mack in this area last season, as the double digits of Mack’s 2023 record made it hard for anyone to even come close.
Tuipulotu had some great quarterback sack moments in 2024. There were two during Week 11 on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, one being a tag team effort with safety Derwin James Jr. There was the one in Week 14 on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, during the opening drive of the game, where Mack and Tuipulotu essentially sandwiched Mahomes. In Week 9 against the Browns, when former Browns quarterback Jameis Winston tried to escape the pocket, Tuipulotu got to him. And in Week 8 against the Saints, Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler tried to scramble through the middle of the pocket, and Tuipulotu took him down.
Tuipulotu has been on the heels of Mack when it comes to quarterback sack dominance, especially last year, and I feel like this year he’ll finally, indisputably, overtake Mack by quite a few.
Will Play In All Games And Have A Healthy Season
Tuipulotu hasn’t missed an NFL game in each of the seasons he’s played and has, fingers crossed, been pretty shielded from any serious injuries. If he stays healthy, he should be on pace to participate in every contest.
This is good news because Mack and outside linebacker Bud Dupree are older, while others in the position group are rookies, such as Kyle Kennard, or haven’t had too much playing experience, such as Caleb Murphy, so it’ll be up to Tuipulotu to be the reliable option for this unit.
Will Be The Best Run Defender Of The Team In 2025
Tuipulotu and Mack really ruled the Chargers’ run defense in 2023, with Mack having the top PFF run defense grade (90.8%) of the team, and Tuipulotu close behind (88.4%).
Mack was also the king of STOPs that year with 52, while Tuipulotu came in fourth for the Chargers with 34. Mack was still up there last year in run defense, finishing with a combined regular and postseason grade of 87.7% while Tuipulotu slid to 15th, overshadowed by some of the newer pieces on the team, like safeties Elijah Molden and Tony Jefferson, as well as cornerback Kristian Fulton.
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Tuipulotu shut down some runners last year. In Week 12 against the Ravens, he stopped Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson mid-run during the second quarter for a loss of one. And in the third, he and defensive lineman Teair Tart halted Ravens running back Derrick Henry on a second-and-7 to create a third-and-10.
During the Steelers game in Week 3, he stopped former Steelers running back, now Chargers teammate, Najee Harris on a couple of runs.
Against the Chiefs in Week 4, on the opening drive, though not a high-powered running back, he lodged the ball out from Chiefs running back Carson Steele and into the hands of Molden.
Tuipulotu didn’t play as many run defense snaps in 2024 as 2023 (339 in 2023 as opposed to 284 in 2024), and there were others like defensive lineman Poona Ford who had even fewer run defense snaps played, but had more STOPs than Tuipulotu (23 to Tuipulotu’s 20).
Without players like Ford, it’ll be up to others to step up, and Tuipulotu, with his physicality and aggression, though he has some stiff competition on this team in run defense, can be the one to come out on top in this area.
Will Emerge as The Most Critical Outside Linebacker This Year For the Chargers
Though he wasn’t as dominant in 2024 as in 2023, based on his production and the fact that he’s been reliable and fairly healthy, I think it could easily be said that Mack has been the number one or most critical outside linebacker for the Chargers in the last several seasons.
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As Mack may be starting to slow down, though he certainly doesn’t look like it at times, and Bosa is no longer in LA, it may be time for a new critical piece in that position unit, and Tuipulotu is the perfect person for the job.
He knows the team and the scheme, has worked with Mack and others at the position, has put up impressive numbers, and has the talent and skill needed to carry this group. I have faith that by the end of this season, he’ll be the true most valuable outside linebacker on this roster.