Wiser and many facial hairs lighter, Eric Weddle is headed toward free agency after having spent his entire NFL career with the Chargers.

Weddle, who turned 31 last month, said at season’s end that he’ll take several factors into account when shopping for a new team, but the chance to win a Super Bowl is high on his list.

Which teams are the potential fits?

Three to watch, in no particular order, are the Carolina Panthers, Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers.


The Steelers are playoff perennials, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champion, is a friend of Weddle’s. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has convincingly praised Weddle’s over the years and may be in the market for a safety after getting uneven results last year.

On the other hand, the Steelers select for enforcers, a role that Weddle doesn’t fill. And they are once again tight against the salary cap, placing a premium on creativity this offseason as they retool their roster.

The fit with Carolina begins with the coaching staff. Weddle played under Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and secondary coach Steve Wilks for multiple years in San Diego before both left Norv Turner’s staff to go to Charlotte.

Rivera praised Weddle’s football IQ and versatility during the coach’s four years as a defensive assistant under Norv Turner.


Panthers safeties Kurt Coleman, 27, and Roman Harper, 33, have helped put Carolina into this week’s Super Bowl, but fitting Weddle into the defensive lineup would seem workable.

For Weddle or any other defensive back, the chance to join Carolina’s powerful defense – which is especially strong throughout the front-7 – would be appealing.

If the Raiders go outside to replace Charles Woodson, a top-flight free safety who retired after the past season, Weddle’s mental prowess and AFC West experience could flatten the learning curve.

Arguing against a potential Super Bowl trip in the near future, Oakland hasn’t had a winning season, let alone reached the playoffs, in the last 13 years and has several holes to fill on its defense. Even so, the Raiders appear on the rise behind young playmakers Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper. They have ample salary cap room, too.


There’s no question that the Chargers would rather Weddle depart the AFC West because he knows them so well.

He has practiced against Philip Rivers since 2007 and has a deep understanding of the team’s pass concepts, plus the tendencies of several other Chargers players such as Antonio Gates. Defensive coach John Pagano entrusted Weddle as a playcaller in several games during their nine years together, the final four with Pagano as the coordinator.

Weddle joining the Panthers would be a good move for both the safety and the Chargers, who probably would rather he leave the AFC.