Chargers Roster Spotlights: Kendall Williamson, Can the 2025 Roster Surprise Do it Again?

Kendall Williamson, born on August 24, 2000, in Snellville, Georgia, played his high school ball at his local school, Brookwood, where he would end up earning four-star recruiting status, according to 247Sports. With this status, Williamson could have nearly gone to any school he could have wanted, but ended up choosing Stanford.

Once with Stanford, a school known for its rigorous academics, Williamson made an impact on the field, earning 16 tackles as a cornerback in his first ten games at the college level. 2019, saw Williamson start at the corner spot, recording 47 tackles.

2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic year, cutting everyone's season short. This season saw Williamson play safety, where he seemed to instantly excel in the short season. 2021 was his first full season at the spot, and Williamson had 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and 67 tackles in 12 games, showing himself to be a well-balanced PAC-12 safety.

In Williamson's final year with the program, he recorded 50 tackles, 2.5 of which were for loss. He also got his first career interception. Williamson's long career at Stanford was a successful one, with him finally entering the 2023 NFL Draft.

NFL Scout Lance Zierlein described Williamson as: "[he] offers good measurables and testing numbers, but he’s lacking in production and consistency. He plays with good route recognition when hovering in off-man coverage, but he might not have the range needed to handle expanded areas of responsibility. He’s willing in run support but overestimates his pursuit speed and misses tackles."

The Chicago Bears drafted the Georgia native in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, signing him to their practice squad for the entire 2023 season. He was eventually let go after the year, going to the Bills on a reserve contract.

Chargers Kendall Williamson, DB Stanford

After not making the Bills' roster in 2024, he found his way to the Bolts' practice squad, appearing in two regular-season games, finally getting live NFL action. In 2025, Williamson finally made his first initial 53-man roster, surprising many NFL fans with his inclusion over someone like Tony Jefferson.

During the course of the 2025 season, Williamson was a core special teams ace, proving to the coaching staff that he was a good contributor to keep on the roster. He is now returning for the 2026 season in hopes of making the roster once more.

2025 Season Stats

17 Games
14 Tackles
59% of Special Teams Snaps

Measurables

Kendall Williamson's Mockdraftable page is unavailable. Below is his RAS Card.

Kendall Williamson is a SS prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 8.60 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 127 out of 903 SS from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/SMJV3T20PV #RAS pic.twitter.com/PsXyLAu6ed
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 26, 2023

Contract Status

"Kendall Williamson signed a 1 year, $1,075,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including an average annual salary of $1,075,000. In 2026, Williamson will earn a base salary of $1,075,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1,075,000." - Spotrac

Kendall Williamson's 2026 Season Outlook

The Bolts have bolstered the Safety group once again by drafting Genesis Smith in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, making it an uphill battle for Williamson to once again make the Bolts' roster. However, he surprised once, so why could he not surprise once more?

Whether he makes the final 53-man roster, expect him to be a part of this team in some capacity. His traits as both a defender and special teams weapon give him a role on this Chargers team.

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