John Brannon pushing for Chargers roster spot heading into 49ers preseason game

INGLEWOOD — Chargers antiaircraft coordinator Renaldo Hill laughed erstwhile helium heard cornerback John Brannon had 5 interceptions successful grooming camp.

Hill chuckled due to the fact that Brannon is giving him a bully problem. If Brannon continues to adhd to his interception total, it’s going to beryllium hard for the Chargers to archer him nary erstwhile cutdown time arrives, contempt a heavy cornerback unit.

“We privation to marque it a pugnacious decision,” Hill said. “He’s getting the ball. It’s hard to lucifer erstwhile you getting the shot versus not getting the ball.”

Hill and Chargers manager Brandon Staley person emphasized creating takeaways and getting the shot backmost for the discourtesy this grooming camp. Brannon has been connected par with prima information Derwin James erstwhile it comes to takeaways.

But James has done it against prima backmost Justin Herbert and did it against the San Francisco 49ers starters successful associated practices this week. Brannon’s interceptions person travel against backup quarterbacks, but his playmaking quality has gotten the attraction of the Chargers’ coaches.

“It’s coming, though,” Brannon said astir adding to his interception full and getting 1 versus Herbert successful practice. “I’ll archer you that.”

Brannon tin assistance his lawsuit for making the Chargers’ 53-man roster by creating takeaways against the 49ers successful Sunday’s preseason crippled astatine SoFi Stadium. He had the game-saving interception past week against the Rams erstwhile helium jumped a walk astatine the extremity enactment during the 4th quarter.

Brannon, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native, said his begetter and grandparents were successful attendance to ticker his interception against the Rams. Brannon joined the Chargers past play arsenic an undrafted escaped cause from Western Carolina and was called up from the signifier squad successful Week 17 to play against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Each day, I’m getting better,” Brannon said. “Growing and learning each day. (It’s) 1 time I’m person to being a implicit country for this team. So I’m conscionable learning and learning wrong the defense.”

Brannon didn’t marque the Chargers’ archetypal 53-man roster past summertime and it’s going to beryllium pugnacious for him to marque it this twelvemonth due to the fact that of the Chargers’ extent astatine cornerback. Cornerbacks Michael Davis, Chris Harris Jr., Asante Samuel Jr., Brandon Facyson, Tevaughn Campbell and Ryan Smith are apt up of Brannon connected the extent chart.

Brannon is besides competing with cornerback Kemon Hall, who has caught the Chargers’ attraction with his size and versatility. Both tin assistance their causes by contributing connected peculiar teams.

“He tin play a batch amended from an execution standpoint and method standpoint,” Staley said astir Brannon this week. “Needs to due to the fact that helium plays hard, helium finds himself astir the football. He’s inactive developing. With immoderate of the guys going out, he’s been capable to get immoderate opportunities.

“He is inactive uncovering his mode connected peculiar teams. He needs to elevate his play connected peculiar teams. I similar coaching him. We’re going to spot wherever it goes.”

Brannon and Hall are among galore under-the-radar players hoping to springiness the Chargers a hard determination erstwhile it’s clip to trim the roster to 53 players.

Running backmost Darius Bradwell had a standout show versus the Rams, but helium finds himself successful the aforesaid concern arsenic Brannon and Hall due to the fact that the Chargers person extent astatine moving back.

Quarterback Easton Stick and wide receiver Joe Reed were connected the Chargers’ 53-man roster past season, but they’re warring for their spots this summer. Reed is presently sidelined due to the fact that of an ankle injury.

It’s unclear whether the Chargers volition determine to support 3 quarterbacks, but Stick tin marque definite of that with a beardown commencement against the 49ers. Stick volition play the archetypal fractional and Chase Daniel is expected to instrumentality implicit successful the 2nd half.

“Yeah, it has been a agelong clip since I person played existent football, truthful it’s valuable,” Stick said astir playing versus the Rams past week. “Any clip you get crippled experience, determination is thing similar it. It’s conscionable a small spot different, a small spot faster. Things run differently, but you are connected your own. It’s truly invaluable. Excited to get much opportunities moving forward.”

Players similar Brannon, Hall, Stick, Reed, Bradwell, wide receiver Austin Proehl, antiaircraft tackle Breiden Fehoko and choky extremity Stephen Anderson are warring for roster spots, but they person 2 preseason games to beryllium they beryllium connected the Chargers’ 53-man roster.

CHARGERS VS. 49ERS

When: 4:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood

TV/Radio: CBS (Ch. 2); 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish)

Line: 49ers by 5 ½  points