Elijah Molden is right where he should.

After a whirlwind 2024 that saw him go through the offseason and nearly all of training camp with the Titans, the Chargers acquired him via trade for a 2026 seventh-round pick.

The Chargers safety stepped to the podium Monday at The Bolt and gave a handful of updates, but the main takeaway was that he's right at home with a recent multi-year contract extension in hand.

"It was the best-case scenario for me and my family. Something that, in-season, I couldn't really think about because I was so in the mode of every week and the demands," Molden said. "But once the season ended and things settled down, getting that extension wrapped up — we were kind of talking about it toward the end of the season — but we were able to do it pretty quickly.

"A couple weeks before free agency. Just a huge blessing for me and my family," Molden added.

Molden and the Chargers announced his new deal on February 20, which was even before the 2025 NFL Combine kicked off.

Molden said Monday that his life is a bit calmer these days rather than having to move to a new city and learn new teammates, coaches and the scheme.

The 26-year-old was mostly used a nickel cornerback during his time with the Titans. But he transitioned to safety at the end of his time in Tennessee, and then thrived at that spot once he linked up with Derwin James, Jr. and Alohi Gilman in Los Angeles.

"This will be my second year playing safety. Last year I kind of had to learn on the fly," Molden said. "Now I'm just really comfortable with my alignment and all the aspects of the position.

"That, plus being in the system, it's not like I'm able to cheat it sometimes, but it's so engrained in me that I can focus on what the offense is doing and what the coordinators are trying to play chess," Molden added.

Molden will new do so in a new number, as he switched to No. 2 from the No. 22 he wore last season.

"The number was good to me, I just wanted to drop a digit," Molden said.

Overall, Molden played in 15 games and tallied 12 starts, recording a career high three interceptions and seven passes defensed.

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).

But he missed the Chargers final regular-season game and playoff loss with multiple injuries, including a broken leg and a meniscus injury.

He provided a health update Monday.

"Broken bones heal fast. I was good from that pretty quickly, a couple weeks," Molden said. "Then I had my meniscus [injury] in the Tampa Bay game that ended up getting addressed after the season.

"Went to the best in the business [Dr. Neal ElAttrache], had the surgery and feeling good," Molden added. "I feel really good. I'm going to for sure be 100 percent by training camp without any hiccups or anything like that."

Molden said Monday that he had a full repair done to his meniscus rather than a cleanup scope.

"We did what was best for my knee. The scope is a quicker recover but long term, probably not the best," Molden said. "In season, a lot of people do it so they can come back to play. I did the full repair because we had the time and I want to have a long career. "

"Rehab for that is longer than a scope would be, but it's not an ACL or Achilles. I'm moving around really well," Molden added.

Molden said he's been limited out on the field for the first two weeks of the Chargers voluntary offseason program.

But the plan is for him is to be full go by the time mandatory minicamp rolls around.

Molden's arrival was vital to the Chargers defensive success last season, as his presence on the back end allowed James to play a hybrid slot role and earn Second-Team All-Pro honors.

"The way we run our system here, a three-safety system, I knew, 'OK, I'm going to be playing some meaningful snaps right away.' From there, it was just about making plays," Molden said.

The hope now that is the trio of Molden, James and Gilman pick up right where they left off last season, and perhaps be even better now that Molden isn't the new guy.

"He had a really good year last year," Adam Fuller, the Chargers new safeties coach, said Monday.

"His burst and the way he plays around the ball, he's really instinctual, he's super smart, he cares a lot," Fuller continued. "Even working with him in meetings now, he's so on the questions. I love that he can explain whether it went well or it didn't go well. I think that's why he fit in really, really well.

"He was at an urgent point of his career where he wanted it so badly and to see the opportunity to meet where he was and what the Chargers needed, it really fit well," Fuller added. "It's somebody who is going to be second year in this system, in developing the confidence, camaraderie with his brothers. I think he should be set for a great year. It's my job to make sure I help clear things up and help make it happen faster for him."

Year 2 for Molden in powder blue is on deck. He's fully on board with the Bolts.

"The culture here, it's hard to explain. You just kind of know coming in the building," Molden said. "The energy, you can tell by the way people carry themselves in here. The positivity, the energy … everything is driven toward success."