The Chargers took some well-deserved time off in recent weeks.

But that's over now as 2026 Training Camp has arrived.

And there's nothing like being back and getting things rolling.

"My break was amazing, it was great," Tarheeb Still said. "But there's no place like The Bolt, so I love being back."

The Bolts veterans reported for training camp on Tuesday ahead of the first practice on Wednesday at the team's facility in El Segundo.

With rookies and quarterbacks already in the fold, it was a full house at The Bolt, something the players welcomed with excitement as they were all together again.

"I think everyone is just excited to be back out there," Ladd McConkey said. "The vibe around the locker room has been really good, talked to everybody, good to see everybody's faces again. We're just excited."

Linebacker Troy Dye added: "It's a fun time of the year."

Part of the excitement stems from what lies ahead in all phases.

The Chargers will put the pads on at some point in the near future as the focus now turns to getting real reps after a spring of learning new systems.

The grind of training camp begins.

"Now it all counts. The days aren't until noon, you're not out of the building by one," cornerback Donte Jackson said. "This is the time where you kind of put everything you've got.

"With the speed days during OTAs, now you really get the time to really hone in, break things down," Jackson added. "We have a lot of great players, smart players, this is where we thrive."

Of course, that also means taking the next step and putting that system into action.

For the Chargers defense under new Defensive Coordinator Chris O’Leary, the next couple of weeks will be crucial after what was a full offseason in his first year in the role.

His players are ready to go and put some of those plans into action.

"I love CO, he comes in every day with a lot of juice, a lot of good energy," Still said. "Great coach, but also great teacher. He has ideas of things he wants to do with the defense, I'm all for it, I love it.

"I'm really excited to get in the system and play football," Still added.

It also helps to return that continuity to the unit, who hopes to continue building on what's been one of the best units in the NFL over the past couple of years.

"A new system, a new guy but it's great to be back with K-Mack, Tuli [Tuipulotu], Bud [Dupree], [Jamaree Caldwell], Teair [Tart], all those guys," Justin Eboigbe added. "It's great to be back with the same guys, have that same continuity from the year before and keep building off that."

Same could be said about the offensive side of the ball under Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel.

After an offseason of adjustment and learning, the plan is to take that a step further in the coming weeks and play faster in camp.

"OTAs was a lot of learning, we were trying to figure out where to line up and where to run," McConkey said. "Now it's like okay, we got a bit of that under our belt, let's go out there and be able to play a lot faster. There's just way more dynamics to the offense that we haven't gotten to yet.

"We'll see that, start getting into it. Then once game planning comes during the season, it's different," McConkey added. "I feel like now, people are going to be able to play faster, know where to line up, know where to run and have a little more experience."

Joe Alt added: "I think during OTAs, we learn what that viewpoint is and now it's our job to paint that picture on the field with pads on."

McConkey added that he's "full go" in camp after dealing with a hamstring issue during the offseason, while Alt said he was feeling "100 percent."

The pads coming on will help mirror a bit of the real game feel that is on the horizon as the team works its way towards the regular season.

"I would say the physicality," Alt said. "You do a lot of drills, field work but going against a defense and really having, they have pads on and we have pads on, we're hitting, being able to adjust."

He later added: "Being able to get those reps where guys are moving, guys are hitting and really be able to solidify how you're feeling in this system is what the next step is."

The buzz to get back was very high on Report Day, as the feeling around the team is a great one.

"I feel like this is probably one of the most talented rosters I've been on since I've been here, so now we just have to go out there and do it," McConkey said. "I'm super excited to get here, get in camp, get back to practicing."

The team knows what they have in the building and is fired up to get started.

"I think guys know what we can do," Still said. "It's the name of the game in football is just stay healthy, so we got to battle that. We can't control things like that. I think everyone in the league knows if we're a healthy team, we're scary to deal with."

Jackson added: "The direction everyone is going, the enthusiasm. This is the pros, but the energy isn't always the way it is. To see and be around it, even during OTAs, was amazing. You get excited cause you can see the giddiness, the ball loving, all this coming together. It's going to be a fun one and exciting for sure."