Denzel Perryman is a hard-hitting veteran middle linebacker who returned to the Los Angeles Chargers, the franchise that drafted him out of Miami.
Denzel Perryman made his name as a thumping run-stopper at Miami and brought that physical style to the NFL. After stops in Carolina, Las Vegas and Houston, he came back to the Chargers, who took him in the second round in 2015. Injuries and a suspension cut into his 2025 availability.
Path to the league
Perryman was a two-time first-team All-ACC selection at Miami, playing four seasons for the Hurricanes from 2011 to 2014. As a senior he was a Butkus Award finalist and an AP third-team All-American, finishing with 351 career tackles. The then-San Diego Chargers drafted him in the second round in 2015.
2025 season
Per the team and reporting, Perryman re-signed with Los Angeles on a one-year, $3.65 million contract on March 12, 2025. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the Week 1 game against Kansas City and was placed on injured reserve before being activated ahead of Week 7. On December 23, the league upheld a two-game suspension for repeated violations of player-safety rules.
Career highlights
A 2021 Pro Bowl selection, Perryman remains one of the more physical downhill linebackers of his era and a familiar face in the Chargers' defense.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Denzel Perryman
- ESPN: Denzel Perryman player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
10 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | chargers | 10 | 47 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2024 | chargers | 11 | 55 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | texans | 12 | 76 | 45 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2022 | raiders | 12 | 83 | 54 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | raiders | 15 | 154 | 102 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2020 | chargers | 13 | 48 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | chargers | 14 | 68 | 50 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | chargers | 9 | 51 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | chargers | 7 | 37 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 | chargers | 12 | 72 | 56 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2015 | chargers | 14 | 73 | 64 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Miami
- Hometown
- Coral Gables, FL, USA
- Age
- 33
- Status
- active
