3rd-year edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu will be a key player for the Chargers if they want to improve from 2024.
The Chargers did not have a player go over 10 or more sacks during the 2024 season. Despite playing in every game, veteran pass rusher Khalil Mack’s production came tumbling down from his 17-sack season in 2023 to just six sacks this past campaign. Insanely enough, his sack total in 2024 was matched by his single-game record six sacks against the Raiders the year prior.
With Mack’s numbers vastly down, it was second-year edge player Tuli Tuipulotu who quietly led the Chargers with 8.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. With Joey Bosa now in Buffalo, this is Tuli’s starting job heading into the upcoming season. With that in mind — on top of several other reasons — is why Tuli was named the Chargers’ X-factor for this season by ESPN’s Ben Solak.
“Tuipulotu had 8.5 of the quietest sacks you ever saw — or perhaps didn’t see — last season,“ says Solak. ”He was a low-pressure, high-sack player — and as we know, pressure is the stickier stat. Still, some players have a knack for splashy tackles behind the line of scrimmage, and he is one of them. In run defense we see the same sensation: By NFL Next Gen Stats’ charting, he was below average in total run stops but above average in stuffs — negative plays for the offense.“
“Tuipulotu cannot just be a splash player this go-round, though. He split snaps with Bud Dupree and Joey Bosa (when the latter was healthy) last season. Bosa is now off the roster, without much new depth behind. Tuipulotu will be a full-game starter, playing north of 70% of the snaps on a weekly basis opposite Khalil Mack — and you know where opposing offenses will send their pass protection help on third-and-long. If Tuipulotu continues generating explosives on an increased snap count while also finding more down-to-down consistency, he’ll be one of the league’s most impactful No. 2 edge rushers.“
I personally did not know that bit of context on Tuli’s 2024 season. Overall it seemed like an improvement on his rookie year in which he went from 4.5 sacks to 8.5, but per Solak it looks like his consistency and down-to-down efficiency wasn’t the same. So yes, that does need to change in year three where he’ll be looked at to make something happen each and every week as a starter at a premium position.
Category: General Sports
