Son of NFL WR GOAT Jerry Rice Done With Chargers, For Now
This Rice kid's game is still a bit 'undercooked.'
All along, Brenden Rice wanted to prove he was more than "Jerry’s kid," and the Chargers didn't see the vision.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Chargers waived second-year wideout Brenden Rice, son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
El Segundo, CA - May 27: Wide receiver Brenden Rice #82 of the Los Angeles Chargers during a Los Angeles Chargers workout at The Bolt in El Segundo on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.(Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
The move came as part of the flood of roster cuts on Monday, with Week 1 less than two weeks away (which we're all hopelessly waiting for).
Rice appeared in three games as a rookie, playing three offensive snaps and making the most of his limited impact on special teams.
Rice arrived in L.A. last year carrying both the blessing and burden of his dad's legacy. At 6-foot-3, he showed flashes of the physicality that made him stand out at USC, prompting him to go in the seventh round of the 2024 draft.
Bolts fans saw the upside, especially with a diluted WR room due to losing Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer in the past year.
The Chargers’ decision to waive him Monday underscores just how ruthless roster math can be … though Rice may not be entirely ‘cooked.’
SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 23: Jerry Rice stands on the San Francisco 49ers sideline before a preseason game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, August 23, 2025 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Trinity Machan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
As part of the announcement, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo noted that the door remains open for Rice to return on the practice squad, where the team can continue to develop him without using up a precious 53-man slot.
For a second-year player still trying to refine his route running and explosiveness, it may be the best path forward. Rice will have the chance to prove he can turn flashes into a foundation.
The name still carries weight, but the Chargers were asking Brenden Rice to earn his own.
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