The Las Vegas Raiders will be looking to parlay their opening weekend win against the New England Patriots into a Week 2 takedown of the Los Angeles Chargers. Their AFC foe rival will travel to Allegiant Stadium for a primetime bout on Monday Night Football.
For two division rivals, the Chargers and Raiders have had quite a bit of crossover in recent years. General manager Tom Telesco, wide receivers coach Chris Beatty, and players like Khalil Mack and Andre James are just the tip of the iceberg.
Pro Bowl linebacker Denzel Perryman eventually joined the Silver and Black after being drafted in the second round by the Chargers in 2015. He has since returned to Los Angeles, but he recently suffered a high-ankle sprain that may sideline him for 4-6 weeks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Chargers sign former Raiders LB Kana'i Mauga after Denzel Perryman injury
Seemingly to fill his place, the Chargers added another former Raiders linebacker after his injury. On Tuesday, the team announced that they were signing Kana'i Mauga to the practice squad and releasing Nyheim Hines in a corresponding move.
Mauga spent the 2022 NFL season on the practice squad in Las Vegas before spending the following two campaigns on the active roster. He played in 17 games for the Raiders across two seasons, almost exclusively in a special teams role.
Over the course of two years, he played just 11 defensive snaps, whereas he played 306 snaps on special teams. He was waived by the new regime in Las Vegas before the 2025 NFL Draft and quickly found a home in Los Angeles.
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He was waived during final roster cutdowns and did not land on the practice squad in Los Angeles, which left him without an NFL home for several weeks. However, after Perryman's injury, the Chargers brought him back to the practice squad.
Given that the Chargers have just four healthy linebackers on the active roster, only three of which played on defense last week, it would not be a surprise to see Mauga elevated to the active roster on Monday night.
Mauga would not likely factor into the team's defensive efforts, but he could be a key cog on special teams against the Raiders. In addition to all the familiar faces already in Los Angeles, Mauga's entering the fold at the last second is yet another.