Los Angeles Chargers Cut Team Captain Sebastian Joseph-Day Ahead of Week 16 vs. Buffalo Bills

Chargers Cut DT Sebastian Joseph-Day Ahead of Matchup vs. Buffalo Bills

An already struggling Los Angeles Chargers defense will be without one of its leaders on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. 

In an surprising move from interim GM JoJo Wooden, the Chargers cut defensive tackle and team captain Sebastian Joseph-Day on Friday. 

While Joseph-Day has a career-low 31 tackles, he's set a career-high with 11 quarterback hits and has three sacks, which ties a career best. Joseph-Day had started every game for a Chargers defense that has allowed 24.6 points per game, which is the fifth-most in the NFL.

© Jonathan Hui, USA TODAY

Los Angeles, which is coming off a 63-21 loss in Week 15 to the Las Vegas Raiders, will need all the help it can in a game where the Bills are 12.5-point favorites on the road in what will be the first game since coach Brandon Staley was fired. Interim head coach Giff Smith will coach against Buffalo. 

The Chargers will also be without All-Pro Joey Bosa on the defensive line along with Keenan Allen and Justin Herbert on offense.

Bills at Chargers: How to Watch, Preview, Betting Odds

While L.A. is certainly entering rebuild mode, cutting an impact player like Joseph-Day with three games left in the season is the first big move from Wooden. Joseph-Day, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021, signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Chargers in March 2022, but the team would carry just $2.5 million in dead cap by cutting him this season, per Spotrac.

The Buffalo Bills (8-6) face the Chargers (5-9) on Saturday at SoFi Stadium at 8 p.m. ET.