The Chargers began the 2026 season with a 26-14 home loss against the Cardinals.

Here's a game recap from the Bolts season opener:

Turning Point

The Chargers were in a back-and-forth tilt with Arizona but had gained some momentum early in the fourth quarter.

The Bolts, down by two points, had forced a punt and took over at the own 20-yard line with just under 14 minutes to go.

But things spiraled for the Chargers from that point on.

Justin Herbert was sacked on first down, leading to a third-and-long pass that went right through the wickets of Quentin Johnston.

To make matters worse, the Cardinals then blocked the ensuing punt and took over at the Chargers 3-yard line.

Arizona scored two plays later to take a 23-14 lead then Bolts couldn't recover from, especially as Herbert was intercepted in Arizona territory.

The Bolts trailed at the half and were down 13-7 after a slow start.

The Chargers won the coin toss and elected to defer to begin a first quarter that saw both teams score on their opening drive of the season.

Arizona put together an 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run from rookie Jeremiyah Love.

But the Bolts responded right back as Omarion Hampton capped off a 77-yard scoring drive with a monstrous nine-yard touchdown run.

Arizona then hit a pair of field goals later in the half, with the second coming after the Chargers missed a chance to take the lead on a failed fourth-and-goal situation from the 3-yard line.

The Bolts made just one more trip to the red zone the rest of the game.

Top Play

Herbert's first touchdown pass of the season was a masterpiece.

The Chargers quarterback zipped an 8-yard touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey for a key score in the third quarter.

McConkey had a big day with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with a chest injury in the third quarter.

Key Stat

The Chargers defense did a solid job in the red zone by limiting Arizona to just two touchdowns on five trips inside the 20.

But those five trips meant the Bolts gave up plenty of yards along the way.

All in all, the Bolts surrendered 393 total yards against the Cardinals.

That would have been the second-most yards allowed by the Bolts defense all of last season.

Scoring Summary

Up Next

The Chargers are at home again in Week 2 as they host the Raiders in an AFC West matchup.