Inside The Huskies

Outside of Fractured Fibula, Ex-Husky Molden Had Great Year

Pro Football Focus designated him as the Los Angeles Chargers' most improved player.
Dan Raley|
Elijah Molden celebrates after a fumble recovery for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Elijah Molden celebrates after a fumble recovery for the Los Angeles Chargers. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

We last saw Eliijah Molden riding off the football field on the back of a metal cart, three days after Christmas, in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in obvious distress.

The former University of Washington nickelback turned Los Angeles Chargers cornerback fractured a fibula bone in his lower right leg during a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots, costing him the final two games of the season, including a playoff encounter last week against the Houston Texans.

Yet all was not lost for this one-time Husky secondary mainstay, a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree and 2019 Las Vegas Bowl Defensive Player of the Game, who just experienced his finest NFL season of four in the league.

Taking note of his sudden career advancement, analytics leader Pro Football Focus singled out Molden as the Chargers' most improved player this past season.

Former Husky Elijah Molden is carted off the field after a season-ending injury for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Former Husky Elijah Molden is carted off the field after a season-ending injury for the Los Angeles Chargers. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Molden, who is originally from West Linn, Oregon, appeared in 15 games for the L.A. franchise, starting a dozen times, and he finished with 75 tackles, 3 interceptions and 7 pass break-ups -- all career high stats for him.

Following three seasons with the Tennessee Titans after joining them as a third-round draft pick, Molde went to the Chargers at the end of the preseason in a trade for a 2026 seventh-round selection.

Elijah Molden is shown after fracturing a fibula bone against the New England Patriots.
Elijah Molden is shown after fracturing a fibula bone against the New England Patriots. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

He didn't give up a receiving touchdown all season and PFF noted how he graded out at 75.6 at his position while posting a 75.4 percent coverage grade.

While his season ended abruptly, Molden likely is dealing with an injury that won't prevent him from rejoining the Chargers for organized team activities, or OTAs, in May.

That is, providing he doesn't sign with someone else as a free agent with his NFL stock running at an all-time high after this past season.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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