The Los Angeles Chargers have announced that they have placed safety Elijah Molden on injured reserve.

We’ve placed DB Elijah Molden on injured reserve

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 1, 2025

This unfortunate decision likely ends Molden’s season, as he is required to miss at least four games before he can be considered for return.

With only one game left in the regular season, the earliest Molden could potentially return from IR would be for the Super Bowl, should the Chargers advance that far.

At just 25 years old, Molden had an impressive college career with three years as a starter at the University of Washington, where he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2020. He was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the 100th overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

During his time with the Titans, Molden signed a four-year contract worth $4,785,850 million, which included an $840,618 signing bonus. He was in the final year of this contract when the Titans traded him to the Chargers after the preseason for a late-round draft pick.

In the 2024 season, Molden played in 15 games for the Chargers, where he made a significant impact with 75 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, three interceptions, and seven pass defenses.