The Chargers spent Monday morning doing something that felt overdue: turning the temperature down on everything except the trenches.
With one practice left before cutdowns, the session was built around the run game and run blocking, a clear response to what had happened over the weekend. After back-to-back practices where the offensive line got pushed around by the defensive front, the coaching staff made the day a heavy one for the big men.
They also added a competitive one-on-one period that let the offensive and defensive lines settle it directly. The offense won enough of those reps to leave with some much-needed confidence.
That reset mattered because the Chargers offense had looked out of sorts since Tyler Biadasz went down. The preseason loss to the 49ers was sloppy and low-energy, and the offensive line, in particular, never seemed to find its footing. Monday’s practice looked designed to drag the group out of that slump.
The clearest roster signal still came at left guard, even if nobody is ready to stamp it official. Jim Harbaugh has kept that battle close to the vest, but Mike McDaniel was more direct after practice when he said veteran Kayode Awosika is “It's almost his job to lose,” regarding the starting left guard job.
Harbaugh has already pointed to Awosika as the front-runner twice, but it was still notable to see Trey Pipkins opening practice with the first team at left guard for a third straight day. That could be a courtesy nod to Pipkins after he slid over to left tackle while Rashawn Slater was out.
It also makes sense with Jake Slaughter moving to center and Branson Taylor sidelined after the injury he suffered against the 49ers. For now, Pipkins is getting a real look while still forcing Awosika to hold his ground.
The job won’t be settled until Harbaugh says so.
The clock is also doing its own kind of damage. McDaniel made that clear when he talked about the final roster decisions and said, “We have another practice and four quarters to evaluate before that time comes.” That’s the reality now: very little time, very little margin, and not many chances left for bubble players to separate themselves.
Injuries are starting to tilt those decisions too. Keaton Mitchell missed another practice Monday, and McDaniel called it a setback.
That kind of issue can ripple fast at this stage, especially with Mitchell’s injury history. It raises the possibility of a fourth running back such as Amar Johnson making the roster, but that kind of choice can also squeeze another position group out of a spot.
Monday’s absences included Khalil Mack, who was given a veteran rest day, along with Branson Taylor, Kyle Kennard, Scott Matlock, Eric Rogers and Sincere Brown. Several of those players were fighting for jobs. Taylor had been in the mix for left guard before the injury, while Kennard, Matlock and Rogers are all in that bubble territory where missed time can become costly in a hurry.
The postgame and post-practice tone around Cole Strange matched the on-field concerns. He had been singled out by multiple outlets after the 49ers game, and McDaniel didn’t hide from it. Instead of leaning on vague praise, he said, “I was happy with his intent, not his execution.”
Strange owned it himself when he stepped to the podium afterward. “Not really happy with how I played,” Strange stated. “I'd like to play better, but it's preseason, so it was a good opportunity to get out there in front of a crowd and try some things out and get used to playing real games instead of practice.
So while Monday didn’t exactly produce a flood of new answers, it did confirm the Chargers know where the issues are. The interior offensive line is front and center, and the team made a point of attacking it head-on before the final preseason game against the Rams and the start of the regular season.
In Other News...
Chargers Suddenly Have A Real Question Behind Omarion Hampton
The Chargers got a closer look at their running back depth in their second preseason game against the 49ers, and it was hard to come away feeling settled about the group behind Omarion Hampton. Hampton is expected to lead the backfield, but the competition for backup roles has not separated itself yet, and the reserves did not do much on the ground to make the decision easier.
Preseason results do not decide a roster battle on their own, and one quiet night is hardly a final verdict. Still, the Chargers are heading toward a familiar August task with a little more urgency than they probably wanted, because the offense needs at least one reliable answer behind Hampton before the regular season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Still Have A Backup QB Problem Behind Justin Herbert
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The challenge is made even trickier by what is happening up front. Los Angeles has dealt with injuries along the offensive line, and that has complicated any real evaluation of the two quarterbacks because protection and pocket time have not been consistent. The Chargers need more than just a competent fallback behind Herbert, and for now the question is not only who wins the job, but how much the line will help reveal the answer. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos May Have A New Defensive Name Worth Watching
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From a Chargers perspective, it is the kind of development that matters because the division keeps churning out pieces on defense, and Robinson is starting to sound like one of the more intriguing ones in Denver. The AFC West has also featured other camp notes, including Teair Tarts growing presence for the Chargers and Kayode Awosika appearing to have the edge in Miamis left guard battle, but Robinsons trajectory is the one that could matter most if his progress keeps pointing upward. [Read more 🡒]