DJ Uiagalelei is making the most of his opportunities at Chargers camp.
The former FSU quarterback was thought to be a camp body when he signed a free-agent contract with the Chargers in April, but now it looks like Uiagalelei is at least in the mix for one of the backup spots behind Justin Herbert. He is battling for snaps with veteran journeyman Taylor Heinicke and former top-five pick Trey Lance.
Uiagalelei has been relegated to mop-up duty in the first two Chargers preseason games, but he has completed three of his four passes for 74 yards and led a touchdown drive in those minutes. Yesterday, Uiagalelei got to show off his physical talent when he completed a 49-yard bomb to Dalevon Campbell.
It'd be pretty hilarious if Jim Harbaugh turned DJ Uiagalelei into a better QB in the NFL than he was in college. pic.twitter.com/KfFM0ayMsQ
— College Sports Only 🏈🏀⚾️ (@CollegeSportsO) August 10, 2025
Uiagalelei is an easy underdog story to get behind
FSU fans should be rooting for DJ Uiagalelei. Forget all the noise that his dad, Big Dave, has been spouting. By all accounts, he was a very good teammate who was thrown into a tough situation. Nothing worked last year, but Uiagalelei didn't construct that horrible roster, and he shouldn't take the brunt of the blame for it not working out. Especially when the guy ultimately responsible is making $10M a year.
Uiagalelei lost as much as anyone last year because of a poor season and a finger injury left him on the outside looking in during the NFL Draft. Instead of being the high draft pick he was predicted a few years ago, Uiagalelei walked into Chargers camp as an undrafted free agent.
And this is a true underdog story. Uiagalelei is FIGHTING for snaps with the threes - forget touching the twos. This is a former five-star prospect that is out here battling for table scraps. It's a crazy longshot that he survives cut day. But with his efforts in the first two games, he might have played himself into getting a bigger role in Saturday's preseason finale against the 49ers.
If he played himself into a real-deal roster spot, it would be a hell of an accomplishment to come from being a rookie camp body to a real prospect with an NFL future. The best case scenario is probably finding his way onto a practice squad. Maybe he'll get a real shot in the UFL next spring. Who knows?
But don't count out DJU.