The Chargers closed out their first week of training camp on Saturday with more than just another practice on the schedule. The day gave a clearer look at how Jim Harbaugh wants this camp to run, added another layer to the left guard competition, and brought a rare personal moment from Justin Herbert.
Harbaugh has already put his stamp on the rhythm of camp. Through four practices, the Chargers have worked at different paces, and the head coach said before Saturday’s session that the team has gone through four different practice environments.
The group has already seen low, medium and high pacing, and Harbaugh even introduced a new label for the final practice of the week: “high-dium.” The wording may have come out casually at the podium, but the idea behind it is clear.
This camp is being managed differently, with every practice starting at 10 a.m. and the intensity deliberately spaced out to support rest and recovery.
Saturday sounded like it pushed beyond even that. The offense and defense were chippy in the kind of competitive work that tends to show the edge of a team early in camp. The Chargers are set for their first padded practice at the University of San Diego on Tuesday, and based on how animated things got Saturday, Wednesday could easily become a lighter recovery day.
One of the biggest personnel questions on the roster remains the interior offensive line, and the left guard spot is still the unsettled piece. The Chargers entered the offseason needing to rebuild the whole interior, and they addressed center and right guard in free agency by signing Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange. Left guard, though, is still up for grabs.
What looked like a three-man race during OTAs has widened in camp. Kayode Awosika, Trevor Penning and second-round pick Jake Slaughter were in the mix, but Trey Pipkins and 2025 sixth-round pick Branson Taylor have also been pulled into the competition. Saturday’s first 11-on-11 line had Rashawn Slater at left tackle, Branson Taylor at left guard, Biadasz at center, Strange at right guard and Joe Alt at right tackle.
That alignment may look surprising, but the Chargers haven’t hit padded practices yet, and that matters. Right now, the staff is using these early reps to teach assignments and expectations more than to settle every trench battle. The real sorting-out will come once the pads go on and the line play gets more physical.
Harbaugh said the team still needs time before making any final call on the starting offensive line. Asked about the timetable, he paused before saying they would need at least ten to thirteen more practices to really know.
Ten more practices would take the Chargers through the end of the third week, while thirteen would push the decision to the second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. In other words, this one may not be decided until close to the regular season.
There was also no new movement on Tuli Tuipulotu’s contract extension hold in. He remains around the team and has taken part in some individual drills, but he has not joined team periods.
Justin Herbert, meanwhile, gave one of the most revealing interviews of his time with the Chargers when he sat down with former Chargers defensive lineman Isaac Rochell and former Chargers fullback Jacob Hester. Herbert was asked about his engagement announcement, and he opened up in a way that stood out from his usual media presence.
"She's changed my life," Hebert said, "It's something I never thought was possible and it's so awesome to find your person, to be able to spend your life with them."
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For now, though, the picture is not as clean as the optimism around him. Slaughter is spending time at center as well as guard, and there is already outside skepticism about whether he can claim an immediate starting job in time. With other options in the mix, the real test for the rookie is not just learning one spot, but proving he can force his way into the first-team conversation. [Read more 🡒]
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Mike McDaniels arrival as offensive coordinator gives the overhaul a clearer purpose, since the Chargers clearly want to lean into the different things each tight end can do. If the group settles in quickly, Herbert could have a more varied set of options than he has had in recent seasons, with pass-catching ability and in-line help both available in the same room. The only real question now is how much of that new structure turns into a consistent weekly advantage once the games start. [Read more 🡒]