Elijah Molden made it crystal clear after the 2024 season that he wanted to return to the Chargers.

"Of course. I told the coaches I want to be back," Molden said. "It's a unique situation where I have to take care of my future and my family's future, but this is a place I would love to play.

"And a place where I have kind of revitalized my career with a full year playing safety," Molden added. "I feel like throughout the season I just got better and better."

Molden got his wish Thursday as the Chargers announced they signed the safety to a multi-year contract extension before he even had the chance to hit free agency next month.

"It's what I always wanted, that I knew I wanted the second I stepped in the building," Molden told Chargers.com. "Coach [Jim] Harbaugh is building something special here and I wanted to be a part of it."

It's a definite win-win for both sides, especially when you considering that Molden was a late addition via trade in August.

Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz only gave up a 2026 seventh-round pick for Molden, who promptly turned into one of the team's steadiest defensive players in 2024.

Molden showed a knack for the ball by setting a career high with three interceptions, which ranked second on the team.

The safety also set career bests with 75 total tackles, seven passes defended and two fumble recoveries.

Overall, Molden played in 15 games and tallied 12 starts. And if we look at safeties who played at least 500 snaps last season, Molden was 11^th in Pro Football Focus coverage grade (75.4), 13^th in Pro Football Focus defense grade (75.6) and 16th in tackling grade (78.5).

Not bad for a guy who was acquired for almost nothing.

And while Molden enjoyed the best season of his career, it was clear early on that he was about to make an immediate impact on the defense.

"He's come in and been a great addition," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said in September. "So quickly he's added into the team and knowing what to do first of all, in about a week, two-week timeframe is commendable in itself."

Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter added: "He's a great football player, instinctual and a great mind."

On a deeper level, don't discount Molden's impact on Derwin James, Jr., too.

The addition of Molden freed up James to move into more a slot role in Minter's scheme, meaning James was able to wreak havoc near the line of scrimmage.

The result? An All-Pro season from James, something Molden surely had a hand in.

With Molden back in the fold, the Chargers can now hypothetically line up Molden and Alohi Gilman at safety and continue to let James roam around anywhere on the field.

That trio was a key reason why the Chargers ranked No. 1 in scoring defense (17.7 points per game) and tied for eighth in the league with 15 interceptions on defense.

Kudos to Hortiz and the Chargers front office for getting the deal done early, too.

The respect and admiration were mutual on both sides and a big reason why this deal was done before the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine even kicked off.

Molden said in January that the 2024 season was the "most fun year playing football" he had since his freshman year of high school.

He now gets a chance to run it back and build on what was an impressive 2024 season in powder blue.

Simply put, the Chargers 2025 offseason is off to a strong start.

"I feel like on both sides, it was pretty mutual," Molden said. "They wanted me back, I wanted to be here."

He added: "I think it was just a win-win all around."