The Los Angeles Chargers continue their preseason schedule with a home game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 

After opening the preseason with an impressive outing in the Hall of Fame Game, the Chargers return to SoFi Stadium looking to stack strong performances as they work to build their initial 53-man roster for the 2025 season. 

Several players on the roster could use a big game on Sunday to increase their odds of making that roster or improving their spot on the depth chart. These four players fit that category and will be guys to keep an eye on in this one. 

Taylor Heinicke, QB

After watching from the sidelines in Canton as Trey Lance had an impressive outing, Taylor Heinicke needs to come out against the Saints and show that he is still the No. 2 quarterback behind Justin Herbert. 

Lance has struggled early in his career with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, but if his play in the Hall of Fame Game did anything, it was to make the competition for the backup job in L.A. much closer than most people thought it would be. 

Heinicke will get the start in this one, and he needs to come out sharp, on target, and showing a firm grasp of Jim Harbaugh’s offense. 

Jamaree Salyer, OT

The Chargers’ offensive line took a massive blow earlier in the week when Rashawn Slater was ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn patellar tendon. The team has been scrambling to figure out how to plug that gap, and it is weighing many options. 

Veteran David Sharpe was signed this week to bolster the team’s depth, but there could be a battle between Jamaree Salyer and Trey Pipkins as to who will start in place of Slater, with the other becoming the team’s swing tackle. 

Salyer will start at left tackle on Sunday. 

READ: Why Philip Rivers will not get into HOF on first ballot

Junior Colson, LB

Second-year linebacker Junior Colson appears to be teetering on “bad pick” status while he works to prove he was the guy the team thought it was getting in the third round of the 2024 draft.

Colson struggled in the Hall of Fame Game and has not had the start to his career that many expected. He needs to begin turning that around in this game. 

Raheim Sanders, RB

Raheim Sanders was getting some early hype in training camp, but that was quickly shut down due to an undisclosed injury. 

He’s fallen behind, but he’s not out of the race. With Najee Harris still not practicing, there are spots to be had in this running back room. Currently, it looks like Hassan Haskins holds the RB4 spot, but a strong remainder of the summer could lead to Sanders leaping him on the depth chart. That begins with this game. 

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