The Chargers see something big in Omarion Hampton, and GM Joe Hortiz didn’t hide the comparison. He put the rookie running back in the same conversation as former All-Pro Ravens back Jamal Lewis, praising Hampton’s blend of burst and force.
“ Omarion is a looser athlete than Jamal [Lewis] but the same type of speed, power combination, ” Hortiz said, via Chargers Wire. “ I mean, I watch him run the ball, and I remember when we were kids watching Jamal run the ball, and I’m like, man, I would not want to get in the way of that; they bounce off of him.
Because people test him, guys will be in practice, and someone’s like, ‘I’m going to put the plastic on him,’ and they get ejected from the club. He’s [Hampton] just so explosive on contact and his speed; you just don’t realize how fast he is.
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In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes is ready for the season to start and said Week 1 is exactly where he wants to be after a long offseason.
“This has always been the goal… A long offseason, a lot of work… But now I get to go out there and play the game I love. Great environment, great opponent, and now I get to go out there and be myself.”
Mahomes also said he’ll wear the knee brace, though he only really notices it when he slides.
Rashee Rice, meanwhile, said the biggest part of his return has been mental trust in his knee. He said he’s been grinding to get back to full strength and spending extra time in the training room.
“I push myself every day to get to 100%. Spend a lot of extra time in the training room. Pretty sure I’m 100%, but I’m just ready to get to the game.”
Rice also sounded comfortable with where he stands with Mahomes, saying the two already built chemistry before he was even back on the field.
“I think the chemistry is great. Before I was even running, I was out there on the turf getting catches with him…”
As for his contract situation, Rice said he isn’t looking past Monday.
“I’m not necessarily focused on the future. We’ve got a game on Monday…”
Out in Las Vegas, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show that very few people outside the organization knew about Brock Bowers’ meniscus injury before yesterday, since the Raiders weren’t required to submit an injury report.
Schefter also said the one-to-two-week timeline is coming from Bowers’ camp and is likely what Bowers believes, while suggesting the Raiders may choose a more cautious path with their top pass catcher.
And in the Raiders’ quarterback room, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko explained why first-round pick Fernando Mendoza beat out Aidan O’Connell for the backup job.
“Just the way he approached every single day, every meeting, every walkthrough. When there was nothing to do, how he was preparing.
Then what he did on the field. The goods, the bads and how he grew from each experience, whether it be good or whether it be bad.
How he grew and got ready to be in this role for this week.”
In Other News...
Chargers Injury Report Already Exposes A Problem Before Arizona
The Chargers first official injury report of the 2026 season arrived before they even got to Arizona, and it offered an early reminder that Week 1 can expose roster cracks fast. Tuli Tuipulotu, Deane Leonard and RJ Mickens were among the names on the list, while Keaton Mitchell and Brenen Thompson were already known to be dealing with injuries as the week opened.
The more immediate concern, though, is on the back end of the defense. With Benjamin St. Juste no longer in the picture, the cornerback room looks thin behind the top three options, and that shortage matters right away when the games start counting. Even before the Chargers see how their injured players respond through the week, the depth chart already suggests this is a group that could be tested quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Just Made Their Push For L.A. Feel More Real
The Chargers took another visible step in trying to deepen their roots in Southern California this week, unveiling a new mural created by Los Angeles artist Robert Vargas. The piece, titled The Storm Is Coming, gives the franchise a permanent presence in the city and adds a splash of local identity to a team that has spent years working to feel more at home in its second market.
The unveiling itself was as much about access as art, with members of the organization on hand to introduce the work to the public. For a team still building its connection with Los Angeles, partnerships like this matter because they turn branding into something tangible, something fans can actually see and walk past, and that is often how a distant presence starts to feel a little more real. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Depth Chart Leaves Two Week 1 Jobs Very Much Unsettled
The Chargers second unofficial depth chart ahead of their 2026 opener against the Arizona Cardinals does not exactly settle the biggest questions hanging over the lineup. The most notable one remains at left guard, where Kayode Awosika and Trey Pipkins are still listed in a way that leaves the starting job unclear, a sign that the team is still sorting through how it wants to protect the interior of the line when the games start to count.
There is also movement at linebacker because of injuries, with DelShawn Phillips listed to start in place of Denzel Perryman. Between the uncertainty up front and the reshuffling on defense, the Chargers enter Week 1 with more role questions than usual, and some of those decisions may not fully take shape until the rotation settles in during the early part of the season. [Read more 🡒]