The pads are on at Chargers Training Camp.
The Bolts donned the pads for the first time in camp on Tuesday as they held a 90-minute session at the University of San Diego.
The Chargers will also practice at noon in San Diego on Wednesday before returning to The Bolt for Thursday's practice.
Here is the Chargers Camp Report from Tuesday's practice:
1. Mack shines in pads
Monday marked the 12th year of Khalil Mack that he put the pads on the first time in a training camp.
Mack, a future Hall of Famer with 107.5 career sacks, looked like a seasoned pro with his performance at USD.
The veteran outside linebacker wrecked a drill by recording sacks on back-to-back plays on a day that mostly belonged to the Chargers defense.
The Chargers began a drill where the offense had the ball on the ball at the 30-yard line and were trying to get to the end zone.
Justin Herbert's group was up first against the reserve defense but had to settle for a 33-yard field goal after the drive stalled in the red zone.
Trey Lance then came out to lead his group, which is went Mack went to work.
He swiped past tackle Ryan Nelson on the first play and tapped Lance for a sack and an 8-yard loss.
Mack was back at it on the next play with another sack that moved the offense back six yards.
"Khalil is a game wrecker," Derwin James, Jr. said. "He can do that when he wants to. Khalil is one of those guys, when there's a 2-minute drive going along and you need a play, he can go in and rush and get the sack and knock the ball down and get us off the field.
"Having guys that like, veteran proven guys, it helps everybody on defense," James added.
James noted that he doesn't see the 34-year-old Mack easing up anytime soon.
"He's not slowing down, he's speeding up," James said. "He's getting stronger, still buying in.
"He was in the building all offseason," James added. "He really wants it, man."
That brought up a third-and-24 situation where Lance found Tre' Harris for nine yards, but Cameron Dicker's 53-yard field goal try was wide right.
Dicker, by the way, made his three other field goals Tuesday from 33, 46 and 48 yards out.
Herbert's group then came back onto the field but rookie Trikweze Bridges ended the drive in one play with a one-handed interception in the end zone.
"He had an amazing day and I told him, 'Don't forget this feeling. Remember how this day feels coming off the field,'" James said. "And he said, 'It feels good.'
"I just told him to stack it and never look back. He's a young guy who is taking the coaching," James added.
Herbert and the offense stayed on the field to try again — with the offense getting down inside the 5-yard line on a pass to Brenden Rice — but Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh ended the drive there.
All in all, it was a strong day for the defense as Daiyan Henley notched a tackle for loss on the first play of a 9-on-7 drill. Henley later likely would have had a sack on Herbert in a full-team drill.
Troy Dye also showcased some physicality by delivering a pop to a running back in the middle of the field.
"We all fed off that lick, honestly," James said.
He later added: "Troy has been flying around all camp."
2. Intensity ramps up in 1-on-1s
The first day of pads saw plenty of 1-on-1 battles throughout the roster.
Tuli Tuipulotu showed how fired up he was to don pads on his first rep when he made an inside move on right tackle Trey Pipkins III that knocked the offensive lineman's hemet off. Pipkins, however, responded by walling off Tuipulotu on the next rep.
Joe Alt and Mekhi Becton both looked sharp as each won their pair of reps.
Alt anchored down to stop a Mack bull push on the first rep before the second-year lineman then won a rep against Bud Dupree. Becton, meanwhile, stopped Teair Tart on both of their battles.
Elsewhere, Da'Shawn Hand and Jamaree Salyer split their reps, as did Zion Johnson and Naquan Jones.
Nelson held off TreMon Morris-Brash on both of their reps before Otito Ogbonnia flashed with a nice inside move against rookie Branson Taylor.
Andre James and Karsen Barnhart won both of their reps before Caleb Murphy used a strong swim move to win on the final rep of the drill.
Elsewhere, wide receivers and defensive backs also battled in 1-on-1 drills.
Cam Hart had a strong showing as he notched pass breakups against Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. Meanwhile Tarheeb Still and Ja'Sir Taylor also had a couple of good reps forcing no-throws with good coverage.
The highlight of the day, however, came on offense as rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith hauled in a dazzling catch.
Running down the sideline, the rookie fifth-round pick jumped and came back for the ball on his back shoulder, getting both feet inbounds for the catch. It was one of his two great reps in 1-on-1 drills as he also later caught a deep post over the middle.
3. Johnston scores 2 more TDs
Another practice, another standout performance from Quentin Johnston.
The Chargers wide receiver has been among the team's best players in the early stages of camp, a trend that continued Tuesday when he caught a pair of touchdowns from Herbert.
Johnston also caught two scores from Herbert in Monday's session.
Johnston's first touchdown Tuesday came in a 7-on-7 drill in the red zone as he caught a 19-yard touchdown from Herbert in the middle of the end zone.
The wide receiver then came back later in the drill and showed string burst on an inside-breaking route as he scampered into the end zone for a 5-yard score.
With Mike Williams' retirement leaving a potential hole in the Chargers offense, Johnston has answered the call so far in camp.
"He's just added so much to his game," Herbert said of Johnston. "He's just so talented and so gifted and he's worked incredibly hard and picked up everything.
"It's not just a deep threat or yards after catch. He's a guy that can do everything," Herbert added.
