We are officially into the dead period of the NFL calendar as players and coaches alike take summer vacations before the start of training camp. While it is the least-busy time of year for the NFL, there is still plenty of Chargers news for fans to digest.
The Bolts just had minicamp and with Justin Herbert's ongoing extension storyline, the Bolts continue to be a team that should be monitored in the summer months. While history says they'll get a deal done during camp, the Chargers could end up signing Herbert to a massive extension any day now.
There might not be any massive news around a Justin Herbert extension but there are several news tidbits for fans to be aware of.
Chargers news roundup:
- Chargers announce training camp dates for 2023
The Chargers announced their training camp dates for 2023, including when fans can go watch the Bolts play in person. This included the team's joint practices with the New Orleans Saints on August 17 and 18, which are exclusive to season ticket members.
You can check out all the dates in the tweet below:
#Chargers have announced their open practices for 2023 training camp. pic.twitter.com/1HY6juqNVs
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) June 20, 2023
- Tom Telesco shares Justin Herbert's hidden talent
Chargers fans know that Justin Herbert is an elite quarterback but that he is also talented in other things as well. His love for fishing and golf are well-documented, with the latter being more impressive as he is a scratch golfer.
In classic Herbert fashion, he has to be great at something else as well. In an interview with Pro Football Ireland, Chargers GM Tom Telesco shared a story about Herbert punting balls during practice in 2020 to be the team's emergency punter. And of course, he excelled even beyond Telesco's expectations.
"So I flipped him the ball back once, he punts it and kind of shanked it a little bit so I'm thinking maybe this won't work. And he said 'no, no, no, give me one more' so I spin it back to him and he knocks off a punt like 42 yards with hang time. The ball turned over, probably like 4.6, 4.7 hang time. Threw another one back he kicks another one, same thing. I'm like 'alright, we got our backup punter.' "
Chargers fans haven't yet seen Herbert punt in a game but it is definitely something that is in the team's back pocket. Brandon Staley could pull a Bill Belichick and punt with Herbert on third down if the Chargers have a two-possession lead in the fourth quarter and want to dominate field position.
That was definitely an eye-opener for Telesco and funny enough, opening people's eyes and making them come to new realizations seems to be a trend for Herbert.
- Kellen Moore explains how Justin Herbert opened his eyes as a play caller
The Chargers hired Kellen Moore to replace Joe Lombardi as offensive coordinator and so far the reviews are great for the new offense. Not only is Moore a breath of fresh air for the Chargers but the Chargers are a breath of fresh air for him.
Moore told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that working with Herbert has been an eye-opener for him as an offensive play-caller.
"I mean, there's only a few on earth that can have that combination, and play at such a high level. It's really fun to see. I was a 6-foot, kind of hanging-on quarterback for six years. And I laugh, there's a few throws sometimes he makes that I say, 'I would never think about trying that throw, but here we are.' It's opened my eyes to some things."
Not only is that great praise for Herbert, but it also proves to any stubborn Cowboys fans that Herbert is indeed a better quarterback than Dak Prescott, but I digress.