The Los Angeles Chargers today placed two players on Reserve/Injured —running back J.K. Dobbins and safety Alohi Gilman. In a corresponding move, the team signed safety Tony Jefferson to the active roster from the practice squad. The Bolts also elevated cornerback Dicaprio Bootle and linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste from the practice squad for Sunday's game.
Jefferson has been a productive defender throughout his career, starting 67-of-116 career regular-season contests with the Cardinals, Ravens, 49ers, Giants and Chargers. He's totaled 468 tackles (351 solo), 9.5 sacks, 34 tackles for loss, four interceptions, 24 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles and four recoveries. In his first season with Baltimore in 2017, Jefferson started all 16 contests, setting a career high with 2.5 sacks while adding 79 tackles and picking off a pass. A year later, he set a career high with six pass breakups in 14 starts. He has appeared in six career postseason contests, making four starts and recording 38 tackles (22 solo), three tackles for loss and a pair of passes defensed.
Over three seasons (2010-12) at the University of Oklahoma, Jefferson appeared in 40 games, totaling 258 tackles (180 solo), seven sacks, eight interceptions, 13 passes defensed, a forced fumble and a recovery. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, playing in 14 games while posting 65 tackles (44 solo), a pair of interceptions, a fumble recovery and breaking up seven passes, earning Freshman All-America recognition as well as Big 12 Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year honors.
Bootle appeared in five games with the Chargers this season, recording three tackles on special teams. He previously spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers. Over his career, Bootle has recorded 19 tackles (16 solo), two pass breakups and nine special teams tackles in 20 career games. He saw the most extensive action on defense with Carolina last season, setting career highs in tackles (11), passes defensed (two), games played (eight) and games started (two).
Over four collegiate seasons (2017-20) at the University of Nebraska, Bootle appeared in 44 games. He posted 110 tackles (70 solo), an interception and a pair of forced fumbles for the Cornhuskers, starting the final 32 contests of his career. A team captain his final season in Lincoln, Neb., Bootle was named third-team All-Big Ten in 2018 and was the team's defensive back of the year in 2018 and 2019.
Jean-Baptiste finished his collegiate career at Mississippi in 2023, finishing fifth on the team with 54 tackles. He added 4.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a pair of quarterback hurries, starting 10-of-13 games for the Rebels. Jean-Baptiste played his first four seasons (2019-22) at Central Florida, where he recorded 152 tackles (97 solo), a pair of sacks, an interception, seven passes defensed and a forced fumble.
