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Chargers sign QB Max Duggan to practice squad after waiving him

Alex Weberby:Alex Weber•08/30/23
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Max Duggan doesn’t necessarily like the spotlight, but he is one of four finalists for the Heisman and will get a ton of attention in the run-up to TCU’s Playoff appearance. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Yesterday, Max Duggan walked out of the Los Angeles Chargers’ facility as a free agent. Today, he waltzed back in as a member of the team… in some capacity.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Duggan has inked a deal to rejoin the franchise, but on the practice squad. Here was that news, which Schultz broke to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon:

“Source: Rookie QB Max Duggan is signing back to the #Chargers practice squad. The former #TCU star finished second in Heisman voting last season.”

So, Duggan is back in the building and still with LAC. Of course, he was drafted by the Chargers this past spring with a seventh round pick as the No. 239th overall selection. However, the team decided to drop him on cut day and keep Easton Stick as the backup quarterback to Justin Herbert.

That decision sparked some anger online from Charger fans, who couldn’t imagine why a freshly-drafted and fun college star was left off the final roster for Stick. In four years at the NFL level, Stick has appeared in just one NFL game and turns 28 during Week 1. He’s little-known compared to the acclaim Duggan garnered during TCU’s run to the CFP final.

Max Duggan certainly had a season to remember last fall as he led those unheralded Horned Frogs all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, where they fell to Georgia.

He threw for 3,698 yards and 32 touchdowns in 15 games with 423 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the year, which helped lead to many honors during and after the season, including Big 12 Athlete of the Year, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.

Duggan had one more season of eligibility left to play college football but elected to declare for the draft. He said at the time it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

“Yeah, it was a hard decision,” Duggan said. “I think in my eyes, I was ready for it, and it was something that I thought a lot about, but I think in the moment and the things that are happening this year, I’ve been able to accomplish a lot with my teammates in this program in the four years, and this year has been pretty incredible.

“Graduating at TCU, just kind of the timing of being here four years and playing a lot I think was kind of the determining factor of it.”