Chargers camp day 1: Justin Herbert comfortable in offense, O'Leary's defense flying, & Tuipulotu sits out

El SEGUNDO, Calif. — It wouldn’t be the first day of training camp without Jim Harbaugh using some sort of metaphor. On Wednesday, he compared the first day of camp to a "family reunion" and "Christmas morning."

Harbaugh is entering his third year building the Chargers alongside general manager Joe Hortiz. Only 14 of the 90 players on the roster remain from the Tom Telesco era.

This is their team.

"We all feel the same thing," Harbaugh said. "It's that feeling like, 'We're capable. We are more than capable.’”

This training camp feels different from previous years, and much of that has to do with the excitement surrounding new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

McDaniel walked onto the practice field about 20 minutes before the 10 a.m. PT start. He made his way around to every position group, greeting players with handshakes and daps while spending several minutes talking with them. He was all smiles throughout.

Even quarterback Justin Herbert appears energized by McDaniel and the new offense. While he appreciated the month away from football, he admitted he was eager to get back.

"I thought having a month off was great to be able to go through the iPad and go through exactly everything that we need to," Herbert said. "Guys have picked it up really quickly… So that allows us to be fast out there and go play football."

During OTAs, McDaniel said he wanted Herbert to adjust his footwork by lining up with his left foot forward and his right foot back in the shotgun.

Jessica Cryderman – The Sporting Tribune

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) talking with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels during Chargers training camp at the Bolt on Wednesday, July 29th in El Segundo, CA.

Herbert continued working on those mechanics while back home in Eugene, Oregon, where he threw with his brother, Patrick, who is attending the Jacksonville Jaguars' training camp as a tight end.

"You get to the point where you're not thinking about it," Herbert said. "You go out to practice and you're just throwing the ball and now you can worry about mechanics, how am I throwing the ball, where is it going, routes and things like that. As opposed to months ago, it was making sure your feet are lined up with the routes, timing. There was a lot that went into it but now you're just playing football."

The changes to the offense were noticeable from the start of practice, but they became especially apparent during 11-on-11 drills. After Herbert called the play, the offense quickly sprinted to the line of scrimmage and snapped the ball.

On the first 11-on-11 play, Herbert faked a pitch before finding rookie wide receiver Brenen Thompson for a short gain.

Earlier during 7-on-7 drills, Herbert narrowly missed Thompson on a deep ball. The two connected several more times throughout practice, including one sideline throw that Thompson secured with a sliding catch before going out of bounds.

"He's going to be very good," Herbert said. "We saw it early on that he was skilled, he's fast, he's going to make a lot of plays for us. I'm really excited about him."

So far, Herbert and McDaniel appear to be off to a strong start.

Defense flies around

The Chargers defense enters the season with several question marks following the departure of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The team promoted 34-year-old Chris O'Leary to lead the defense, and players have expressed excitement about working with him again after his previous stint with the Chargers in 2024.

Several defenders have praised O'Leary's aggressive style and believe the unit can remain one of the team's strengths.

"He's not holding back, he's not shy," Chargers safety Derwin James said. "I feel like a lot of people are going to get to see who he really is this year. I'm confident in him."

Jessica Cryderman – The Sporting Tribune

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3) during Chargers training camp at the Bolt on Wednesday, July 29th in El Segundo, CA.

During 11-on-11 drills, backup quarterback Trey Lance attempted a deep pass over the middle, but cornerback Tarheeb Still came away with an interception, the second takeaway of training camp. The first interception belonged to cornerback Isas Waxter, who also picked off Lance.

Still and fellow third-year cornerback Cam Hart are two players James believes are poised to take another step in their development.

"Year 3 is usually when you have to take that next step," James said. "I've been telling him that Year 3 is a pivotal year, not that any year isn't pivotal, but I feel like this is how you shape your career on who you're going to be."

Tuipulotu working off to the side

The only player who did not participate in the first day of training camp was outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu.

Tuipulotu worked off to the side while the rest of the team practiced.

It appears to be a hold-in situation as the former second-round pick enters his fourth season after recording a career-high 13 sacks in 2025.

"It's just the process of it, man," James said. "The team loves him. We love Tuli. I knew the team loved me too when I had the same similar situation, but sometimes that stuff takes longer to iron out."

James did the same thing in 2022 before he got his pay day.

Hortiz is familiar with these situations. Last year, left tackle Rashawn Slater held in before signing an extension that made him the highest-paid offensive tackle in the NFL.

Herbert pops the question

Beyond the start of training camp, there was another reason for excitement surrounding Herbert, who recently proposed to his girlfriend, singer Madison Beer.

"We didn't know until after, we were all in the quarterback room and he told us," Harbaugh said. "He had kind of said it was going to happen this summer and everything.”

Herbert and the pop star have been together since 2025. The day before training camp opened, Beer shared proposal photos with the Chargers quarterback early in the morning.

"Man, I was happy for him,” James said. “I was tweeting at like 7 a.m. when I saw it. He told me he was going to do it… So it was fun to see."

Jessica Cryderman – The Sporting Tribune

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert addresses media during Chargers training camp at the Bolt on Wednesday, July 29th in El Segundo, CA.

Herbert made his first NFL start in Week 2 of his rookie season after then-starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a medical emergency.

When asked Wednesday whether he was more nervous before proposing or before getting just 90 seconds' notice to make his NFL debut, Herbert didn't hesitate.

"The proposal, for sure," Herbert said with a smile.