EL SEGUNDO — Derwin James Jr. was named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Month on Thursday, because, of course he was. Over the final weeks of the regular season, the Chargers’ standout safety had 28 tackles, three sacks, seven tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery. It was an added bonus after James was selected last week to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his seven-year career. Technically, he was named as a safety, but he fills so many roles, playing so many positions in a Chargers’ defense that was the NFL’s stingiest in 2024 that it’s difficult to keep it all straight. Is he a strong safety? Yes. Does he play closer to the line of scrimmage in a nickel defense? Yes. Does he also play in the Chargers’ dime package? Yes. Does he appear to be an edge rusher? Or a linebacker? Yes and yes. “He’s incredible,” Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said. Overall, James was the Chargers’ second-leading tackler during the regular season with 93, including 60 solo. Only linebacker Daiyan Henley, who had 82 solo tackles among his team-leading 142 tackles, had more. In addition, James had a career-high 5½ sacks, trailing only outside linebackers Tuli Tuipulotu (8½) and Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree (six apiece). “Coach Minter,” James said when asked for a reason for his success. “He’s just allowed me to play free. Allowed everybody to play free. Allowed everybody to play fast in team defense. I feel like it’s just been an amazing season. I can’t wait for us to play our best football in the postseason.” Next for James and the Chargers is an AFC wild-card game against the Texans on Saturday in Houston. The Chargers (11-6) are the fifth-seeded team and the Texans (10-7) are seeded fourth. The teams have never faced each other in the playoffs. The Chargers are 6-3 in the regular-season against Houston. “It doesn’t matter what we’ve done all season,” James said when asked about going into the game as mild favorites to win, according to oddsmakers. “It only matters going forward. I can’t wait, man, to get out there and compete against this team. I feel like coach Minter has done a great job of getting me in position.” Or maybe it should be “positions” since James plays so many different ones. Minter said when he first met with James during offseason workouts, he stressed the notion that James should not get too attached to one position since there was the distinct possibility that he might be shifted here, there and almost everywhere defensively when the season began. When the season started, James began to meet with Minter in Minter’s office on Thursdays in order to discuss the game plan. Where might he best excel against the Chargers’ next opponent? Which role(s) might he play after a teammate in the secondary had been sidelined by an injury? The first question was often harder to answer than the second. In the end, though, James fit seamlessly into so many positions and roles that it became the least of Minter’s concerns as the weeks passed and the injuries to key players mounted. James filled all sorts of voids in the secondary. In the end, the Chargers were the NFL’s top defense, giving up only 17.7 points per game. Alohi Gilman, a safety, hurt his hamstring and went on injured reserve. Related Articles Los Angeles Chargers | Swanson: Firestorm vs. L.A., and we’re all in this together Los Angeles Chargers | Was Chargers WR Quentin Johnston’s catch vs. Chiefs a career-changer? Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers QB Justin Herbert takes Jim Harbaugh’s hyperbole in stride Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers review: Are Justin Herbert and the offense peaking at right time? Los Angeles Chargers | Chargers playoff primer: An early look at the Houston Texans James meshed instantly with replacement Elijah Molden. Asante Samuel Jr., a cornerback, hurt his shoulder and went on IR. James meshed with rookies Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still. “We lose a guy and he can make it right,” Minter said of James. “He can go back and fix us at safety like he did in the Denver game (in Week 16). He can go fix us at dime if we lose a guy there. He can slide into nickel and fix us there. He’s just incredible to work with. “I’m super happy that a guy who works as hard as he does, cares as much about his teammates as much as he does, sees the fruits of that with the production that he’s had this year.” Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during a game last month in Kansas City, Mo. James on Thursday was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)