2025 Chargers Official News | Acquisitions | Transactions | Injuries

[Bolt4Knob]

Mdub out...Harris will be late thanks to this 2nd rounder rebellion....Dalevon Campbell is gonna get some serious reps in camp...if Sanjay can coach him up, Mdub may stay on the list well into the season...

Campbell is raw...but what a specimen...

Who is Rice?....lol

Brendan Rice
7th round pick last year from USC
On IR I believe most of the year
Jerry's Kid

[Riverwalk]

Do we even know what Mike W's injury is? This might be a clean up on the major surgery he had when he was a Charger? That is not too uncommon.

This gives the other receivers a chance to show what they have and get some reps they would not usually get.

Philipps is pretty important for the ST units. Hope he is ok

TG

No we don’t have a clue what MW’s injury is but when does that ever stop fans from calling him a bust?

[Riverwalk]

I choose to look at the glass as half full.

With Tre and Mike out…..the rest of the WR’s get more evaluation and development time so when it comes down to the final 53, coach has a better idea of who to cut and who to keep.

[dmac_bolt]

No we don’t have a clue what MW’s injury is but when does that ever stop fans from calling him a bust?

he's way past bust consideration. he's our 2025 washed-up has-been candidate.

lol, I said there was only one thing to keep him from being a roster lock was injury, and he's on the PUP the next day. classic. We'll see what it means ... maybe nothing, maybe it does.

[Rugger05]

Chargers training camp storylines, Part 1: Evaluating Zion Johnson; Najee Harris’ status


By Daniel Popper
July 14, 2025
30

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Training camp has arrived. Los Angeles Chargers veterans will report to The Bolt in El Segundo, Calif., on Wednesday. The first practice will be held Thursday morning. And Jim Harbaugh’s second season will be underway.

The Chargers had a productive offseason. They addressed needs. They built a commendable amount of depth up and down the roster. Now the 2025 team will be forged in the heat of competition.

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To preview camp, we will be diving into the 10 most interesting and important storylines surrounding the Chargers, in no particular order.

This is Part 1. Part 2 will be published later this week. Zion Johnson experiment


The padded practices in training camp will provide the first real opportunity to evaluate Johnson’s move to center.

Johnson started at left guard for the Chargers last season. And while he had some positive moments in his third season, his inconsistencies in pass protection persisted. In particular, Johnson struggled to identify stunts and blitzes, which led to quick unblocked pressures. This offseason, Harbaugh and his staff decided they would at least test out Johnson at center, a position he has not played in college or the NFL. The Chargers are seeking improvement from the 2022 first-round pick, and Harbaugh has proved he is not afraid to think outside the box.

Johnson started drilling his snapping early in the offseason. He worked at center during organized team activities and minicamp in May and June. When Johnson was at center, Bradley Bozeman was at left guard. Bozeman, who re-signed with the Chargers in March, started at center in 2024. Bozeman started at left guard for two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 and 2020.

When it comes to the offensive line, there is little to gather during unpadded spring practices. Training camp is when we will find out whether Johnson is a viable option at center. Contact will ramp up in the trenches. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will be reaching deeper into his playbook. Johnson will have to prove he can handle the post-snap identification that is essential for reliable center play.

It feels like a sizable chunk of this season rests on how the Johnson experiment goes. If Johnson finds a home at center, it changes the complexion of the offense. If the experiment fails, the Chargers will likely be running it back with Johnson at left guard and Bozeman at center. Last season, the interior pass protection was one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. The Chargers signed Mekhi Becton to play right guard. We will get to his potential impact in Part 2.

The Chargers opted not to pick up Johnson’s fifth-year option in May, so he is on the final year of his deal. Johnson’s future with the organization is also tied to how he performs at center.
What You Should Read Next

Chargers mailbag: Big training camp for Quentin Johnston? More moves on the way?
Receiver figures to be one of the hottest competitions when the Chargers open training camp on July 17. Najee Harris’ status, and what it means for Omarion Hampton


Harris suffered a “superficial eye injury” in a July 4 fireworks accident, his agent Doug Hendrickson announced in a statement last week. Hendrickson said in the statement that Harris “is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season.” But there is still quite a bit of unknown in this situation. When will Harris be ready to participate in training camp? Just how serious is this injury? Will the Chargers place Harris on the non-football injury list? At least some of those questions will be answered this week.

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The Chargers signed Harris to a one-year deal in March. He is a durable, tough and reliable back, and he was going to raise the floor of the Chargers’ running backs room. In April, the Chargers drafted Hampton in the first round. Harris and Hampton formed a clear upgrade at running back over the J.K. Dobbins-Gus Edwards duo that led the backfield in 2024.

Hampton has tremendous upside, and there was always a possibility he’d beat out Harris for a lead back role at some point this season. If Harris misses time in training camp, that possibility becomes even more likely. Hampton has a chance to be an immediate difference-maker in the run game, a player with the explosiveness to score anytime he touches the ball. And he could be getting the bulk of the first-team work early in camp.

A Harris absence would also create a fascinating battle behind Hampton on the depth chart among Kimani Vidal, Hassan Haskins, Raheim Sanders and Jaret Patterson. WR competition around Ladd McConkey


McConkey finished his record-setting rookie season with an exclamation point in the Chargers’ playoff loss at the Houston Texans. Fighting through double-teams and even triple-teams, McConkey caught nine passes on 14 targets for 197 yards and a touchdown. This performance firmly established McConkey as a star in the league and a No. 1 option for quarterback Justin Herbert for the foreseeable future. It also drastically highlighted the amount of help the Chargers needed around McConkey. The other receivers in that game combined for two catches and 14 yards.

The Chargers attempted to find help this offseason. They signed Mike Williams in free agency. They drafted Tre’ Harris in the second round and KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fifth round. McConkey is at his best when playing in the slot. The Chargers brought in receivers who can play on the outside in 11 personnel when McConkey is in the slot.

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Who will claim these two starting spots? This will be a heated competition. Williams already has built-in trust with Herbert. The two played together for four seasons with the Chargers. Williams was cut last offseason before signing with the New York Jets. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers mid-season. And now he returns to the Chargers. “He’s one of those guys that changes the way you play football when he’s on your team,” Herbert said during minicamp.

Harris started to show off some of his smooth route running and ball-tracking during spring practices. Smith missed time with an injury in the spring, but he has the type of speed that can threaten defenses vertically. Quentin Johnston and Jalen Reagor will also be in the mix.

The Chargers now have more options who can attack down the field. And those options are not limited to the receivers room. Rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden was a standout in the spring, and he will be a weapon on seam routes and overs, among other downfield concepts. This should change how the offense operates, and we will get a good look at that adjustment during training camp, when defensive backs can be more competitive in challenging the ball.

Can rookie Tre’ Harris emerge as a viable option opposite Ladd McConkey? (Kirby Lee / Imagn Images) Who emerges from IDL group?


The Chargers lost two interior defensive line starters in free agency. Poona Ford signed with the Los Angeles Rams, and Morgan Fox signed with the Atlanta Falcons. The Chargers replaced them with three additions: Da’Shawn Hand and Naquan Jones in free agency and Jamaree Caldwell in the third round of the NFL Draft. This is a deep group. The Chargers re-signed Teair Tart. Otito Ogbonnia, Scott Matlock and 2024 fourth-round pick Justin Eboigbe all return.

Last season, Ford emerged as the top producer in the group. The Chargers thought Ford could be a productive player, but he exceeded everyone’s expectations. Is there a Ford in this year’s room? Tart was disruptive in more of a rotational role last season. Can he make a jump with increased snaps? Eboigbe played only 26 defensive snaps as a rookie. He has put on weight. Can he make an impact in Year 2? Hand is an established run defender, and he was getting a lot of work with the first team during the spring. Is there untapped potential there? This seems like a wide-open race. Training camp will bring the physicality necessary to start sorting out the pecking order, as it will at left guard and center on the other side of the ball. Rashawn Slater extension


Slater is in the final year of his deal, and he has not yet signed an extension. The Chargers and Slater have been engaged in contract negotiations this entire offseason. Slater was not present at voluntary OTAs, but he reported for mandatory minicamp and participated in all three practices. After the third practice, Slater spoke with local media for the first time this offseason and said he had “full confidence” a deal will get done.

Firmer deadlines are approaching quickly. If a deal is not done by the start of camp, will Slater participate in practices? In 2022, safety Derwin James Jr. still hadn’t signed his extension when training camp began. He sat out the first 14 practices before signing. James was at the facility and in meetings but was not practicing.

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The best-case scenario for both sides is this deal getting done before the first practice Thursday. Slater could be playing next to a new left guard in Bozeman. The Chargers need their left tackle on the field to properly settle on starters at left guard and center.

[sonorajim]

I choose to look at the glass as half full.

With Tre and Mike out…..the rest of the WR’s get more evaluation and development time so when it comes down to the final 53, coach has a better idea of who to cut and who to keep.

Q is a top athlete who has struggled with drops. Consistency with his hands could make him an easy fit in top 5. DD needs more work on his routes. Speed kills. We need to use him more. KLS and Grimm are interesting rookies plus Campbell. Rice, Reagor, J Johnson and Fitzpatrick get another chance.
I'm guessing 3 practice teams so everybody gets work and a chance to improve. Let's rock!

[Rugger05]

Chargers training camp storylines, Part 2: Battle at CB, huge opportunity for Tuli Tuipulotu


By Daniel Popper
July 15, 2025 5:00 am MST
9

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Los Angeles Chargers veterans report to training camp Wednesday at The Bolt, and the first practice will be held Thursday morning. To round out our preview, we are back with Part 2 of our 10 most interesting and important camp storylines.

If you missed Part 1, you can read it here. We touched on Zion Johnson’s move to center, Najee Harris’ status after a fireworks-related eye injury, the competition at receiver and more.

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The Chargers are scheduled for 24 training camp practices through Aug. 21. Here are five more fascinating storylines we will be monitoring closely over the next five weeks. Battle at CB


Coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz have built a deep roster as they head into their second training camp together. The depth should lead to genuine and intense competition within several position groups — and not just for 53-man roster spots. Starting jobs are up for grabs. And that is certainly the case at cornerback.

Hortiz struck gold in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting two corners — Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart — who were important contributors as rookies. Hart and Still return and will be firmly in the mix for starting spots. Hart is an outside corner. Still can play outside and nickel.

Still led all Chargers cornerbacks in defensive snaps last season with 783. Kristian Fulton, a free-agent addition last offseason, was a close second at 760. Fulton was on a one-year deal, and he capitalized on a solid 2024 season, signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in March. The Chargers, meanwhile, signed two free-agent corners: Donte Jackson and Benjamin St-Juste. They also drafted a corner in the seventh round: Trikweze Bridges. Veterans Ja’Sir Taylor and Deane Leonard return for this season.

In the Chargers’ playoff loss to the Houston Texans, Hart suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. He was not cleared to fully return to practice until minicamp in June. As such, it was tough to get a read on the depth chart through spring practices. We will probably see heavy rotations at all the corner spots in the early days of training camp as defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale attempt to settle on their best grouping.

The Chargers also practiced at a less intense tempo during spring practices. Defensive backs were not really allowed to challenge throws or play the ball. As Minter said in June: “I look at OTAs and minicamp as not really competition. It’s more you’re chasing execution, you’re chasing learning the system, you’re chasing standards of how you practice. But the real competition amps up when you can press and you can play the ball and you can be competitive.”

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There will be a lot to sort out in training camp, including how often safety Derwin James Jr. plays nickel. Safety is one of the strengths of the Chargers’ defensive roster, with Alohi Gilman and Elijah Molden behind James on the depth chart. The best five-DB grouping likely includes all three of these safeties on the field, with James at nickel and Molden and Gilman deep. From Week 9 on last season, James played more than 43 percent of his snaps at nickel, according to TruMedia. Aligning James closer to the line of scrimmage more regularly was a key component in his resurgent season.

When James is at nickel, who are the two outside cornerbacks? When James is at safety, who plays nickel? Who are the cornerbacks in four-DB packages? Who is the odd man out if the Chargers keep six corners on the 53-man roster? These are the questions we will be attempting to answer while watching practices.

Can Tarheeb Still build off his promising rookie season? (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images) Tuli Tuipulotu in a starting role


The Chargers cut Joey Bosa for salary-cap reasons in March. As a result, Tuipulotu moves one spot up the depth chart. He is now in line to be an every-week starter opposite Khalil Mack, whom the Chargers re-signed to a one-year deal.

Minter rotated his edge rushers last season, especially with Bosa battling sciatic nerve pain for most of the season. Tuipulotu led all Chargers edge rushers in defensive snaps in 2024 with 732. He should not see a dramatic increase in playing time. But there will be a dramatic shift in how much the Chargers are relying on Tuipulotu’s pass rush productivity. Mack is 34. This is a massive opportunity for Tuipulotu to cement himself as the type of elite edge player the Chargers can build around for years to come.

“You kind of know going into the year, this is my chance,” Minter said of Tuipulotu last month.

Tuipulotu set a career high with 8 1/2 sacks last season, building on his 4 1/2 sacks as a rookie. But the counting stats were a bit misleading. He did not make the type of jump from Year 1 to Year 2 that the sack total would indicate. Tuipulotu took advantage of late-down opportunities, padding his numbers with chase-down tackles to the sideline and cleanup finishes up the middle. He contributed to 10 sacks. Only two went for losses of more than 3 yards. He contributed to five sacks in 2023. All five went for a loss of more than 3 yards.

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On a down-to-down basis, Tuipulotu did not affect the game with the same consistency as a pass rusher. His pressure rate — pressures per pass rush snaps — dropped from 11.9 percent to 10.8 percent, according to TruMedia. Not a monumental drop-off, by any means. But I was expecting a sizable jump from 2023 to 2024, and that did not materialize. There is plenty of room to grow.

Part of the performance plateau could have been related to his huge role on special teams. Tuipulotu played the second-most special teams snaps of any Charger last season, at 339. The plan is for Tuipulotu to play far fewer special teams snaps this season. He is a starter now, and defensive production needs to be his priority. The Chargers drafted edge rusher Kyle Kennard in the fourth round to be a potential contributor on special teams. Will a shrunken role on teams fuel growth defensively for Tuipulotu? That is a trade-off to watch with Tuipulotu as he enters this pivotal training camp.
What You Should Read Next

Who is most important to the Chargers’ success in 2025? Counting down 20 through 11
Third-year edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu and rookie running back Omarion Hampton will be among the key players this season. Who plays next to Daiyan Henley at LB?


Henley had a breakout year in 2024 in his first season starting for the Chargers. The 2023 third-round pick took over the green dot as the on-field signal caller and, in turn, emerged as a leader for Minter’s defense. Henley can defend the run. He has excellent coverage instincts in man and zone. He is an effective blitzer. He has the speed to defend sideline to sideline. Henley is a four-down defender, and he has the ideal skills for a modern-day NFL linebacker.

The big question: Who will be starting next to Henley? The Chargers re-signed Denzel Perryman and Troy Dye. Perryman had a strong start to the 2024 season, but he played only 11 snaps over the final seven regular-season games because of a groin injury. He was then knocked out of the playoff loss with a shoulder injury. Dye was initially signed for his special teams experience. He got an opportunity to play on defense because of injuries, and he was solid in spot duty.

Perryman and Dye will be in the mix. But the name to watch in this competition is 2024 third-round pick Junior Colson, who played for Harbaugh and Minter at Michigan. Colson missed time to start camp last season after undergoing an appendectomy. He also landed on injured reserve during the season with an ankle injury. When he was on the field, Colson struggled at times to match up with the speed of the NFL game.

Still, Colson has all the talent necessary to be an impactful starter. Henley took a similar path from Year 1 to Year 2. He suffered a hamstring injury during the preseason of his rookie year, and that injury derailed his season. After a full offseason with Harbaugh and Minter, Henley broke out in 2024. Could the same happen for Colson? Mekhi Becton’s impact


The interior offensive line was one of the biggest weaknesses for the Chargers in 2024. That weakness was overwhelmingly exposed in the playoff loss to the Texans. The Chargers needed to improve in this phase. The most consequential step they took was signing Becton in free agency. Becton is in line to start at right guard. Trey Pipkins III was the starting right guard last season.

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As we touched on in Part 1, the Chargers will likely end up with Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman starting at left guard and center come Week 1. That could be Johnson at center and Bozeman at left guard. That could be Johnson at left guard and Bozeman at center, the same combination as 2024. How much improvement will come from merely swapping Bozeman’s and Johnson’s positions? The answer is partly baked into what kind of impact Becton has on the line as a whole. The Chargers believe his impact will be substantial. We won’t have any firm sense until the pads come on in camp.

Is Mekhi Becton’s presence enough to elevate what was a shaky Chargers offensive line last season? (Kirby Lee / Imagn Images) Justin Herbert’s response


The last time Herbert played in a football game, he threw a career-high four interceptions in the playoff loss to the Texans. He was under immense pressure from the Houston front. It was also, given the stakes, the worst game he played in his NFL career.

How will Herbert respond? So much of this season will be tied to how Herbert rebounds from a low point. The Chargers have surrounded Herbert with considerably more options in the passing game, from running backs to receivers to tight ends. At times, the outside noise will be deafening. And Herbert won’t be able to silence any of it until he leads the Chargers back to the playoffs and wins a postseason game.

The building blocks toward that goal will be set on the fields at The Bolt. This season feels like an inflection point in Herbert’s career.

[sonorajim]

Thank you Rugger for the Popper articles. News from Charger.com is slow to non-existent.

[Rugger05]

Thank you Rugger for the Popper articles. News from Charger.com is slow to non-existent.

Your welcome. I know some people bag on Popper but I think he writes some good articles. I will post his TC articles in this thread.

[Formula 21]

Do we even know what Mike W's injury is? This might be a clean up on the major surgery he had when he was a Charger? That is not too uncommon.

This gives the other receivers a chance to show what they have and get some reps they would not usually get.

Philipps is pretty important for the ST units. Hope he is ok

TG

Popper needs to ask Harbaugh that question.

[beachcomber]

no way, no how is Colson starting over Perryman, and…. heaps of coverage on our IOL, albeit personally would be watching to see if Alt has improved his anchor in his pass pro…. he got rag dolled a time or coupla few against Houston.

[Eurobolt]

Slater and Harris not signed?
Just wondering why.