Chargers Roster Spotlights: Jamaree Caldwell Gets Big Chance to Become a Star

Jamaree Caldwell was born August 30, 2000 in Newberry, South Carolina. He stayed local, playing at Newberry High School, being a zero-star recruit according to 247Sports. He did, however, earn a scholarship to Hutchinson Community College, which was unfortunately taken away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He instead went to the famous community college seen on Last Chance U, Independence Community College. His one season there allowed Caldwell to earn seven tackles, three of which were for loss and a half sack. This was enough to see him transfer to a D1 program, Houston.

His two seasons with the program saw Caldwell become a strong contributor, earning eight and a half tackles for loss and six and a half sacks in his senior season (second year with Houston). With extra eligibility, Caldwell made the decision to play his final year of college football with the Oregon Ducks.

While the jump in competition saw his counting statistics drop (recording zero sacks and only four and a half tackles for loss), he was still a key contributor for the elite college football program.

This final season put the spotlight on the defensive lineman, with scouts projecting Caldwell to be a third or fourth-round selection. Many highlight the effort and heart the former junior college product plays with, giving Caldwell plenty of fans in the NFL Draft community.

One of those was obviously Joe Hortiz and the Los Angeles Chargers, as he was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Chargers Jamaree Caldwell, DT Oregon

Once Caldwell arrived in Los Angeles, a clear role was set for the 25-year-old rookie, with the coaching staff asking him early to be a space-eating interior defender, as the previous space-eating interior defender, Poona Ford, signed elsewhere during the offseason.

Some media analysts believe that Caldwell was a bit of a reach and was disappointing in his rookie year, but that is far from the truth. The Oregon product was not a first-team all-pro or anything of that nature, but he was a solid defender who played important snaps for a playoff team.

His 67.1 PFF run defense grade ranked first among all rookies with at least 100 run defense snaps. With more coaching from Mike Elston, expecting Caldwell to be even better in 2026 would not be a far cry from what is likely to happen.

2025 Season Stats

17 Games
1 Pass Deflection
1 Forced Fumble
1 Sack
31 Tackles
5 Tackles for loss

Measurables

Contract Status

"Jamaree Caldwell signed a 4 year, $6,313,266 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $1,231,464 signing bonus, $1,231,464 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,578,317. In 2026, Caldwell will earn a base salary of $1,126,967, while carrying a cap hit of $1,434,833." - Spotrac

Jamaree Caldwell's 2026 Season Outlook

Going into 2026, as mentioned earlier, it is expected that Caldwell will take another step in this Los Angeles Chargers system. His role is also expected to see more pass-rushing opportunities, as Otito Ogbonnia and Da'Shawn Hand both left in free agency, with only Dalvin Tomlinson being brought in. This leaves snaps available for the Chargers' young defensive tackle room. To put it simply, he will be a crucial part of the Bolts' defensive success in 2026 under Chris O'Leary.

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