Seahawks vs Chargers preseason Week 1: 3 storylines fans must monitor

For the first time during the Jim Harbaugh era, the LA Chargers will be in action on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. Granted, this game means absolutely nothing as it is in the preseason and there likely won't be very many starters who play.

While the game may not mean anything in the grand scheme it can still be meaningful for Chargers fans. This is the first look at what this team will look like under Harbaugh and there are going to be plenty of things to learn as a result.

Granted, the team will continue to evolve and change as the preseason treks on but at the very least, there are several storylines worth monitoring as they will impact the rest of the preseason and the regular season as a result.

3 storylines Chargers fans must monitor vs. Seahawks:

1. How Jesse Minter's defense compares to Brandon Staley

The Chargers are not going to have the usual starters out during the preseason game but that does not mean fans won't learn about what this defense might look like. Jesse Minter followed Jim Harbaugh from Michigan to hopefully fix a defense that was broken under Brandon Staley.

Second-year linebacker Daiyan Henley has already carried some water for Minter's defense, pointing out the fact the defense is looking to confuse the other team rather than confuse itself. That feels like a huge first step.

Of course, it won't look completely the same as when the entire starting unit is out there but Chargers fans can at least get an idea of how the scheme looks and where Minter puts emphasis as a coordinator.

2. Will Easton Stick play himself out of the backup QB job?

Justin Herbert is currently dealing with a foot injury which has allowed Easton Stick to get plenty of reps with the first team during training camp. The results have not been pretty.

This follows a trend established last season where Stick proved in the games he started that he does not profile as someone who can keep a season afloat if he has to start in place of Herbert. If Herbert is forced to miss any time with this foot injury, or any injury for that matter, it is hard to be confident in Stick winning games.

It will be interesting to see not only how Stick looks in Greg Roman's offense at full speed but how the other quarterbacks on the roster look as well. New quarterback Luis Perez may have the best chance of usurping Stick as he is coming off a fantastic season in the UFL.

3. Just how ready are the Chargers rookies?

The Chargers put together what looks to be on paper a fairly decent draft class. Of course, paper does not actually play football and there have been plenty of drafts in the past that looked great in theory but ended up amounting to nothing.

This will be the first taste of game action for several rookies the Chargers drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. There is a chance some rookies might not play — Joe Alt might sit out as a starter while Junior Colson is on the NFI list and Ladd McConkey is dealing with a nagging injury — but the ones who do play will tell fans a lot.

The rookies that are really worth watching are running back Kimani Vidal, cornerbacks Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still, and wide receivers Cornelius Johnson and Brenden Rice. If the Chargers are going to be competitive in 2024 they will need these rookies to make a difference.

The first preseason game of the year will give us our first idea of who can actually make said difference.