The LA Chargers schedule officially is released on Wednesday, May 12 at 5:00 p.m. PST. Fans already know who the Chargers are playing next season and where it will be, but they do not know the order of the games.
There is also the potential of primetime games that will be announced once the 2021 schedule is announced. I predicted the team to get three primetime games against some interesting opponents.
While nothing has been reported about the Bolts directly, there is potential news about the Los Angeles Rams’ schedule that has sparked Chargers rumors about where the team might be playing in Week 1.
Danny Parkins of 670 The Score Chicago reported that the Chicago Bears are expected to open the season on Sunday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams… at Sofi Stadium.
This all but guarantees that the LA Chargers schedule will feature a road game to start the season.
There is no way that the Bolts are going to open the season at home if they play on Sunday in Week 1. It does not even have to be explained: there is no way that the Chargers can play a Sunday afternoon game at 1:00 p.m. before a Sunday Night Football game at 5:20 p.m. Not happening.
This does not completely rule out the Chargers starting the season at home. There were two weeks in which the Chargers and Rams were both home to start the year. In Week 7 the Chargers played on Sunday afternoon and the Rams played on Monday night. In Week 14 the Rams played on Thursday night and the Chargers played on Sunday afternoon.
Outside of the Bears-Packers game two years ago, the first Thursday Night Football game of the year typically has one team that played in the Super Bowl the year prior. Could the Bolts start the season against the Chiefs on Thursday? Maybe, but the Chiefs got the first Thursday Night Football game last year.
And converting the field for a Monday night game after a Sunday night game is a bigger ask than a Sunday afternoon game to a Monday night game. It is not impossible, but it seems increasingly likely that the LA Chargers will start on the road for the second season in a row.
So who could they play? Anyone in the AFC West is obviously game. The other road opponents on the LA Chargers schedule are the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Football Team and Houston Texans.
Hopefully, it is the Houston Texans so the Bolts can have the easiest possible start to the 2021 season.
Regardless, the Bolts will either start the season on the road or will get a home primetime game in Week 1.