Brandon Staley reveals Derwin James had shoulder surgery in offseason
Brandon Staley revealed some less than stellar news regarding Chargers safety Derwin James, breaking that his star defender underwent shoulder surgery during the offseason.
According to Taylor Bisciotti of NFL Network, Staley revealed the news on Tuesday, much to the dismay of Chargers faithful.
“#Chargers HC Brandon Staley: Derwin James hasn’t participated in any full-speed team drills this off-season because he had shoulder surgery after the 2021 season ended,” tweeted Bisciotti.
Since joining Los Angeles through the 2018 NFL Draft, James has dealt with a bevy of different injuries. However, this is the first the football world is hearing about his latest, an unfortunate shoulder injury following a fantastic season.
While the former Florida State star hasn’t participated in any full-speed team drills yet this offseason, its evident Staley isn’t sweating James’ status. Nevertheless, Chargers fans everywhere will hold their breath every time his name is associated with an injury.
The Chargers are looking to take the next step next season, and Derwin James will be a huge part of whether they’re able to. Hopefully, James doesn’t have to miss any time in-season with injuries in 2022.
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Derwin James, a 2021 Pro Bowl honoree, was a Five-Star Plus+ safety recruit, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, meaning he received a five-star rating from every recruiting website. After committing and playing at Florida State, James was selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, taken off the board by the Chargers with the 17th-overall draft selection.
Quickly made his name know, as James was named an All-Pro as a rookie in 2018. That year, James was also named the AP Defensive Player of the Year after the free safety amassed 105 total tackles (75 solo stops), four tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, three interceptions and 13 passes defended, all while starting all 16 regular-season games. He spent two seasons nursing injuries, but James quickly rejoined Jackson at the Pro Bowl in 2021 after an excellent campaign.
Moreover, Derwin James was named the NFL’s AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2021. After playing just five games in 2019 and none in 2020, he played in 15 in 2021, amassing 118 total tackles (75 solo stops), 2.0 sacks, two interceptions, five passes defended and three forced fumbles.