The Chargers’ regular-season opener against the Cardinals comes with plenty of moving parts before either team takes a snap.
Sunday’s game is set for September 13th at 4:25 ET, and the officiating crew has already been assigned. Ron Tolbert will serve as referee, with Barry Anderson, Daniel Gallagher, Tripp Sutter, Ryan Dickson, Keith Washington, Courtney Brown, and Kevin Stine working alongside him.
Tolbert brings a major résumé into Week 1. He officiated Super Bowl LIX, and last season his crew handled 211 accepted penalties for 1,622 total yards across 17 games. Tolbert is one of the leagues most trusted individuals and is respected highly based on an officiating level.
The broadcast booth is set as well, with CBS putting Kevin Harlan and Trent Green on the call. Melanie Collins will work the sideline. Kevin Harlan is widely recognized as one of the best announcers in the league, and has build a positive reputation while calling NFL games for years.
The uniforms will also be easy to spot. The Chargers will wear powder blue jerseys and socks with a white helmet and socks, while the Cardinals are going with all white on the road.
On the field, the Chargers enter as the pick to win. Arizona has enough talent to keep things competitive, but a new coach and the usual early-season kinks could make life difficult. The rebuilding stages are tough, so LA should have a fairly easier battle.
There’s confidence in the Chargers’ ability to control this one thanks to Justin Herbert, a revamped offense and a defense with plenty of depth. Another reason is the hire of Mike McDaniel, who is going to take this offense to new heights. The first half could still be tight, but the Chargers depth should start showing as the game goes on.
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Los Angeles was already acknowledging the mistakes that helped swing the game, and the blunt critique only added weight to a disappointing start. For a team trying to set a tone in September, the bigger issue now is not what went wrong in one game, but how quickly the offense can clean it up before the opener becomes part of a larger problem. [Read more 🡒]