Joe Hortiz Calls Derwin James a High Priority for Chargers
Joe Hortiz put derwin james at the center of the Chargers’ long-term plans this week. The general manager said keeping the safety in Los Angeles for his entire career is a high priority, and James is entering the final year of his contract.
"It's high. It's high," Hortiz said when asked about James staying with the Chargers for life. That answer came with minicamp set for June 16-18, a date that puts the front office’s roster planning back under a spotlight as the team heads toward the next phase of the offseason.
Hortiz on Derwin James
Hortiz did not stop at a general endorsement. He said, "I've told the story. In Baltimore we had Derwin up there as the number one player on our board in that draft, you know, the number one player available when we were picking. And we took a trade back and he got picked. I said to him when I first met him, I'm like, 'Gosh, you should've been a Raven. We traded away from you, but I'm glad you're not because I'm here now.'"
He also described James as "such a special, special leader and person." Hortiz added: "Like Justin (Herbert), the talent is real and it's there, but the leader and motivator and energy he gives to everybody within the organization, throughout the entire building, it's so unique. One of the best I've ever been around in terms of leadership, talent and character."
James’ Chargers résumé
James entered the league as a first-round pick in 2018 and immediately backed it up. In his rookie season, he made the first-team All-Pro roster, earned his first Pro Bowl nod and posted 105 tackles, six QB hits, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions in 16 games.
The injury history is part of the conversation, too. James sat out the 2020 season because of a knee injury, then signed a four-year, $76.5 million contract extension in 2022. He has still made five Pro Bowl appearances in his first seven seasons with Los Angeles.
Minicamp and the next move
The immediate issue is timing. James is going into the last year of that extension, so any longer-term deal would need to be addressed while the Chargers are moving through minicamp and the rest of the offseason program.
Hortiz has already helped retain or re-sign veterans for the upcoming 2026 season, including Teair Tart, Khalil Mack, Denzel Perryman and Tony Jefferson. James remains the player whose future most directly shapes the defense’s long view, and Hortiz has made clear where the priority sits.
