Here is what you need to know about the first week of the 2023 Chargers season
The team is coming off a tough loss in the Wild Card round in Jacksonville last season and now they have to move ahead as they approach this season with a winning mindset.
Last season was up in down with injuries and it seems like everyone is coming in healthy including Justin Herbert, who just had shoulder surgery this offseason. He is looking great on the field in the first two days of training camp.
Justin Herbert became the highest paid player in the NFL
The day Justin made his debut in the NFL, he found out minutes before kickoff that he will be starting. He has never looked back since taking over the quarterback position for the Chargers.
“I’m so thankful to the Chargers organization, Spanos family and Tom Telesco for believing in me three years ago”
Herbert signed a 5 year/ $262.5 million extension that keeps him in Los Angeles through the 2029 season. This was a massive deal done well by both sides and it couldn’t come at a better time. The deal includes $219 million guaranteed and also includes a no-trade clause.
“I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else, this is where I wanted to be since I was born”
Coming into this year with the duo of Herbert and Staley, it will be interesting to see how this season ends knowing the type of roster they have. Staley has made lots of tough decisions in the past and he will continue to do so because he believes in this team.
The expectations continue to get higher this season for the Chargers, Justin Herbert said that he is looking forward in the challenge. He’s aware of how the season ended and loves how everyone showed up early to camp and began to put in great work this offseason, even when they didn’t have too, which shows commitment to winning.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler had requested a trade during the offseason as he was not accommodated with that and the team reconstructed his contract. New incentives were added in order to increase his pay in his last year under contract. The organization loves Austin and will do anything to keep him here. He talked to the media and was open about the possibility of returning.
“Love being here, I wanna be here longer”
He has led the NFL in the last two season in touchdown scored and has been able to stay healthy and be available to his team. Ekeler said there’s a lot of potential in this team which is a reason why he’s excited to be back.
“Obviously, Kellen Moore has had a lot of the success, He’s attempting to bring that to us with our chemistry of who we have. We have some great players, I just talked to him after practice today and I was like ‘Man I’m excited’. We’re going in the right direction.”
Kellen Moore, who just became the new offensive coordinator, was recently with the Dallas Cowboys and was able to put up some high offensive numbers with Dak Prescott. Moore now has the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, Herbert will take a huge step forward this upcoming year under Moore. He is excited to be here in LA with a new opportunity and challenge. Los Angeles has something special being built with this team as they are also finishing up the new training facility closer to SoFi Stadium.
There is a new kid in town by the way and his name is Quentin Johnston, who has made some impressive plays during training camp. Quentin was drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft a few months ago out of TCU. He brings a special style of play on the field as he led college players last season with the most yards after the catch, which would be huge for the Chargers offense. This year could be a great learning experience for Quentin as he gets the chance to practice with Keenan, Mike and Palmer. He certainly has the potential to be great in this league.
Chargers training camp officially opened on July 26 in Costa Mesa, CA as we have gotten the chance to see the new additions like Eric Kendricks, who came over from the Vikings this offseason. There is a different feeling about this team this season with head coach Brandon Staley. Confidence throughout the team is at a very high level.
Give major credit to Chargers GM Tom Telesco for the moves he made to make this team a championship contending team. The city of Los Angeles has been behind this team since they arrived and the fan base and support in the community is growing at a high rate. We are still about two weeks away from the first preseason game against the Rams.
