Before the two teams square off in the second preseason game of the year, the LA Chargers and New Orleans Saints will hold a joint practice during training camp on Thursday and Friday. While it is not a game setting, these joint practices can give fans an even better idea of where the Bolts are compared to their peers.
These joint practices can say a lot, especially for a team like the Chargers that rests its starters in the preseason. The starters typically get reps in these practices, unlike the preseason, giving fans a more accurate depiction of the team than a preseason game does.
As far as the players themselves go, there are several Chargers on the roster that fans should be paying extra attention to. Their performances in these joint practices will say a lot for the team.
Chargers to watch closely in joint practice with Saints:
J.C. Jackson
J.C. Jackson has returned to football activities much sooner than fans expected with the hope of playing in Week 1 in less than a month. Jackson is not going to play in any preseason games before the regular season but he is going to participate in the joint practice with the Saints.
#Chargers JC Jackson said he expects to participate in the upcoming joint practices with the #Saints, but will not participate in any exhibition games.
— Dan W. (@DanWSports) August 15, 2023
This will be the closest thing to actual NFL action that Jackson gets before the regular season and it will be very telling for multiple reasons. Most importantly, it will be interesting to see how Jackson holds up against another NFL offense. It still is practice but there is going to be an extra level of intensity compared to a normal Chargers practice.
It will also be great to see how Jackson is being integrated into the defense. This is year two in Brandon Staley's defense and by this point, Jackson should understand the defense and what his role is.