Tag: The Bolt

Jim Harbaugh shares expectations when pads come on at Chargers training camp

Remaining injury-free is the No. 1 priority.

The Chargers are a week into training camp, and the intensity will increase as Monday marks the first day with pads on.

There is about to be more contact than the first week when the players only had their helmets on as protection, but Jim Harbaugh wants to keep everything clean so the team stays healthy ahead of the regular season.

“I think what we really got to convince our team is we just want to get better each day, better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than we were today,” Harbaugh said. “When the pads come on, that’s not some kind of magical thing that’s going to determine Day 1 of the pads.

“I want our guys to continue to play the same tempo, same rules of engagement that we had so we could get better at football and we could keep this team healthy,” Harbaugh added. “I get excited about pads because it protects guys, it protects them better.

With the pads on, this will be the most accurate form of player evaluation as it shows their conditioning levels, ability to play through contact, among other things. This especially applies to offensive and defensive linemen.

Even though the physicality is about to ramp up as players look to prove their worth to the coaching staff to secure a spot on the roster, safety is the top priority.

“I’m not looking for guys to have the pads on and now all of a sudden start using those as weapons against our own team, but we use those to protect ourselves,” Harbaugh continued.

Top photos from Day 1 of Chargers training camp

Here is a collection of the top photographs from practice on Wednesday, July 24.

The Chargers took to the field at their new facility, The Bolt in El Segundo, CA, where they began training camp.

Here is a collection of the top photographs from practice on Wednesday, July 24.

Jim Harbaugh heaps high praise on Quentin Johnston: ‘He’s gonna be a problem’

Quentin Johnston had a solid showing on the first day of Chargers training camp.

One Chargers player looking to have a bounce-back season is wide receiver Quentin Johnston.

Johnston, last year’s first-round pick out of TCU, dealt with some growing pains in his rookie campaign.

Despite Johnston’s struggles in Year 1, head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to leave them a thing of the past.

“I just think he got a bad rap,” Harbaugh said about Johnston. “I look at some of the clips coming out of training camp last year. Whatever it was, it just seemed like in somebody’s mind he was a disappointment. He hasn’t been that at all in my eyes.”

Johnston’s problems stemmed from dropped passes and struggling to create separation in his routes. But in Harbaugh’s eyes, Johnston has the makings of being a dominant wideout with the tantalizing traits the Chargers hoped to get last season.

“I see big, fast, strong, getting stronger,” Harbaugh added. “I think that’s a piece that’s really been addressed in the offseason with coach (Ben) Herbert. And Quentin, just getting stronger to go with that. With that speed, the agility, his ability to catch the ball, he plucks it out of the air. He’s as good as anybody doing it. But then combining that speed and agility, getting that strength component to go along with it, he’s going to be a problem. He’s going to be a problem for people.”

Johnston caught three passes on four targets on Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper. Popper added that Johnston looked sharper in his routes.

With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, Los Angeles needs guys to step up in the positional room. Johnston can make his mark and dispel the narrative of being a wasted first-round pick.

Look: Chargers unveil new state-of-the-art training facility

The electrifying era continues in Los Angeles as the Chargers unveiled their new training facility and corporate headquarters.

The electrifying era continues in Los Angeles as the Chargers unveiled their new training facility and corporate headquarters, “The Bolt.” 

Based in El Segundo, CA, the state-of-the-art facility has a three-level layout and three all-natural grass practice fields. The ground floor contains “an expansive locker room, equipment room, training & medical space, weight room, hydrotherapy room, recovery room, sauna, steam room, barber’s area, multiple player lounges and direct access to practice fields, a lap/rehab pool and an outdoor lounge featuring a BBQ, firepit and full sun outdoor televisions.”

Meanwhile, the second floor includes a Chargers helmet-inspired pizza oven in the spacious team dining room and kitchen, commandeered by Wolfgang Puck Catering. Other features are a “carvery, smoothie and coffee bars, pasta station, Grill station, stand-alone island salad bar and rotating daily Global fare station.”

The third floor of The Bolt will be home to a members-only club with an outdoor view, balcony, lounge, and private dining room. It will also be the axis for all executive and business offices.

“I haven’t been this excited in a long time,” said Chargers Controlling Owner and Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos. “I see it in the community, I see it within the organization – from our staff to our players to our coaches, it’s electrifying. Jim Harbaugh being here has brought a new sense of awareness about our team; how important it is to us and to the community. And now you have this new facility that everyone’s been talking about for more than two years now. Our fans are excited. You see it everywhere you go. I hear how they can’t wait to come to camp. Can’t wait to see ‘The Bolt.’ This took a lot of time and a lot of hard work, and I just feel fortunate that our staff, players and fans will be able to enjoy this for years to come.”

The Chargers begin training camp at The Bolt on July 24, but fans who pre-registered can tour the facility from July 13 to 14. 

“Our fans are part of the Chargers family,” said Spanos. “This is theirs as much as it is ours, and I want them to feel that when they come here.”

Chargers 2024 training camp: When rookies and veterans will report

Find out when the Chargers’ rookies and veterans will be on the practice field for training camp.

The Chargers are less than three months from opening up regular season play against the Raiders.

Before that, the team will spend a good chunk of time on their new practice field at The Bolt in El Segundo, CA for training camp, where players will fight for starting spots and a shot at the 53-man roster.

The Chargers previously spent their training camp at Jack Hammett Sports Complex.

On Tuesday, the league announced that Chargers rookies will report to camp on July 16 and veterans will report on July 23.

The full schedule with dates and start times will be released soon, and we will keep you updated upon being announced.