Rumph exited the Seattle Seahawks preseason game early on Saturday after contributing just one tackle. Rumph also had to contend with a foot issue the previous season. During the second half of the campaign, he broke his foot and was placed on injured reserve.
Entering his fourth season with the Bolts, the 2021 Duke fourth-round pick is nearing the end of his rookie deal. Last season, he played in just six games but managed five total tackles and one fumble recovery.
Rumph’s first two seasons were spent playing most of the games. As a rookie, the 6-foot-2 linebacker played in 16 games and finished with 19 total tackles and 1 sack.
After that, he participated in 15 games in his second season and recorded 15 total tackles along with two sacks.
Rumph, who is vying for one of the team’s deepest positions, could suffer from the lost time. The Chargers already have four potent edge rushers in Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Bud Dupree, and Tuli Tuipulotu, so Rumph is likely to be moved to a third-team role.
When healthy, Mack—a past Defensive Player of the Year—and Bosa—a Pro Bowler—are the unquestioned starters because they are two of the NFL’s top edge rushers.
This past spring, the Chargers signed Dupree, a seasoned rusher with 53 sacks in his career, in free agency. In addition to Dupree, Tuipulotu is entering his second season following a strong rookie year that saw him record 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Rumph was always going to have to compete for playing time, but given the talent on the roster and his recovery from his second consecutive foot injury, it will probably get difficult for him to get plays.
