Examining the roster ties between Patriots, Chargers ahead of Week 8

When the New England Patriots cross paths with the Los Angeles Chargers, so will past members of roster.

Three current Patriots were once Chargers. One current Charger was once a Patriot.

Here’s a glance through those on-field connections heading into Sunday’s 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff at SoFi Stadium.

LOS ANGELES

Stephen Anderson, tight end — A former walk-on wide receiver at Cal, Anderson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans and caught 36 passes for 435 yards with two touchdowns through two seasons. The converted tight end then joined New England’s practice squad at its formation in September 2018 and would be promoted to the 53-man roster by January 2019. A Super Bowl LIII ring arrived before Anderson’s release from the practice squad the next fall. He then made his way to Los Angeles. From the scout team to the active roster, Anderson has since appeared in 23 games and made four starts as a Charger to total 13 receptions for 149 yards. The 28-year-old stands with 99 snaps on offense and 52 snaps on special teams this campaign.

NEW ENGLAND

Hunter Henry, tight end — The Chargers of San Diego filled out Henry’s draft card at No. 35 overall back in 2016. The John Mackey Award winner out of Arkansas earned All-Rookie honors from the Pro Football Writers of America in his initial season, and amassed 196 catches for 2,322 yards with 22 touchdowns during his tenure. Henry played under the franchise tag as a captain in 2020 before agreeing to terms with the Patriots on a three-year, $37.5 million contract worth $25 million guaranteed in March. The 26-year-old has turned 24 catches into 264 yards and four October trips to the end zone thus far in his stay. Henry’s touchdown streak marks the longest by a New England tight end post-Rob Gronkowski.

Lawrence Guy, defensive tackle — Before landing on the New England’s All-Decade team, Guy had stops with four teams upon landing in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft. The defensive tackle by way of Arizona State began with the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts. He’d then be claimed by San Diego in October 2013. Guy played in 13 games to record 16 tackles and three batted passes as a Charger before returning to the waiver wire in September 2014. A run with Baltimore Ravens followed. It came to a close as the Patriots signed Guy to a four-year pact that has since been stretched into 2024. The 31-year-old’s tenure includes 67 starts in the regular season. It also includes 261 tackles, seven sacks, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, two deflections, an interception and a ring.

Adrian Phillips, safety — A member of the 2014 Chargers undrafted class, Phillips went on to check into 64 games and start 24 for the organization. The Texas Longhorns alum accrued 251 tackles, five interceptions and two forced fumbles along the way. Phillips received Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro recognition on special teams, as well, before signing a two-year deal with New England in 2020. The 29-year-old hybrid safety has started 21 of his 23 games since then to log three interceptions, 143 tackles and his first career sack. This season, Phillips has seen 80 percent of the snaps on defense and 32 percent of the snaps in the kicking game for the Patriots.