LOS ANGELES_The Los Angeles Chargers began to address one of their areas of need Friday when they agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with linebacker Denzel Perryman.
The four-year veteran has been an effective force in the middle of the defense when healthy. Injuries have limited him to 16 games the last two years.
Perryman, 26, hurt his knee Nov. 11 at Oakland and missed the rest of the season.
"Whenever he's in the game, we're better," coach Anthony Lynn said last week at the NFL combine.
"It's just that simple. The key is just trying to keep him healthy. That's been a struggle. Yes, we certainly would like to have him back."
Perryman, a second-round pick of the Chargers in 2015, suffered a ligament injury on the second play of the Chargers' 20-6 victory over the Raiders in Week 11.
He eventually had surgery. Entering that game, he was tied for second on the team with 51 tackles.
Perryman's injury further thinned a Chargers linebacking corps that finished the season limping.
Jatavis Brown and Kyzir White also suffered season-ending injuries.
By the time the playoffs arrived, the Chargers were going mostly with an alignment that employed seven defensive backs.
