The Los Angeles Chargers re-signed veteran safety Tony Jefferson to a one-year, $1.5 million contract in March, but do they really need him? Not as much as the New York Giants, and he already has familiarity with the franchise and head coach John Harbaugh.
While the Chargers brought back Jefferson, he's more a luxury than a necessity for them. Conversely, New York could stand to benefit from adding him. Put two and two together, plus his ties to Harbaugh and the Giants, and we have compatible trade partners on our hands.
Giants fans probably don't have many, if any, fond memories of Jefferson's nine games with the club in 2022. He didn't see the field much before (briefly) hanging up the cleats that ensuing offseason, though his presence would be felt a second time around.
Chargers' Tony Jefferson is obvious Giants trade target nobody’s talking about enough
Of course, everything on the back end of the secondary for the Chargers starts and ends with star Derwin James. However, they've also made meaningful investments around him, rendering Jefferson expendable — and presenting the G-Men an opportunity to strike.
Actions speak louder than words, and Los Angeles inked converted cornerback Elijah Molden to a multi-year extension that included $13.5 million guaranteed last winter. They proceeded to spend a 2026 fourth-round pick on Genesis Smith out of Arizona, who has the upside to be a Day 1 starter.
While Jefferson is more of a part-time contributor at this stage of what's been a long, successful career. Yet, he remains effective when on the field, especially against the pass, which the numbers bear out.
106 safeties logged at least 150 coverage snaps in 2025, including the playoffs, and Jefferson was one of them. Here's where he ranked among the bunch in the following categories, per Pro Football Focus, aka PFF ($):
- 104th in passer rating against (34.5)
- 81st in reception percentage (64.3)
- Tied for lowest yards per reception allowed (6.9)
- Seventh in forced incompletions per target percentage (21)
For what it's worth, too, Jefferson's best stretch as a pro notably came under Harbaugh during their overlapping stints with the Baltimore Ravens from 2017 through 2019. Yes, not acknowledging how much has changed and time has passed between then and now would be silly. Yet, the former's aging nicely, and the latter's known for tapping into his connections, as Big Blue Nation has already come to learn.
Jefferson, 34, hasn't skipped a beat since coming out of retirement in 2024. He recorded 57 tackles, seven pass deflections and four interceptions across 13 contests this past season. His efforts yielded a solid 70.3 overall PFF grade, good for 22nd among 98 qualified safeties.
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