The intensity ramped up Tuesday morning on Day 16 of Chargers 2026 Training Camp as the Bolts and 49ers held a joint practice.
The teams practiced for almost two hours in full pads at The Bolt, with the goal of getting strong work in before Thursday's preseason matchup.
"A winning practice. I know we're super excited to have this joint practice with the 49ers," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday morning. "Got a lot of great situations in ... a lot of good 11-on-11. Good for us and I think it will be good for the 49ers, so win-win."
He later added: "We're focused on getting really good work.
Here is the Chargers Training Camp Report from Tuesday's practice:
1. Herbert, McConkey shine in red zone
The Chargers offense and 49ers defense certainly went back and forth Tuesday, but there was a clear area where the Bolts had the advantage.
In the red zone.
The Chargers and 49ers had five total team periods Tuesday, with the Bolts first-team offense going against the 49ers first-team defense on one field.
The Chargers top defense then squared off against San Francisco's top offense on another field.
The fourth of those five team periods came in the red zone when Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey went to work.
Herbert began one sequence by finding an open Dalevon Campbell for a 7-yard score before creating some magic with McConkey.
With the ball at the 5-yard line, Herbert rolled to his left before throwing back across his body as McConkey hauled in the score between two defenders.
Herbert has routinely worked on timing and quick passes in camp, but said that was simply a case of a playmaker making a clutch play.
"For him to go up and get that, that's obviously not the way you want to draw something up," Herbert said. "But for him to go make a play like that, it gives me more confidence in him.
"It's already as high as it gets, so to see him make a play like that, it doesn't surprise me at this point," Herbert added.
Omarion Hampton then powered into the end zone for a 4-yard score behind a powerful block from right tackle Joe Alt, who lost his helmet and still pushed a defender nearly toward the back of the end zone.
Herbert then found McConkey for another touchdown, this one from three yards out as the receiver drew a flag, too.
While it wasn't a perfect day for Herbert and the offense — the 49ers did have the upper hand in a 2-minute drill — the Chargers quarterback said he was glad to learn from different looks and schemes on Tuesday.
"You see live reps and that's really important for us as an offense," said Herbert, who will play a series against the 49ers on Thursday night. "We go up against our defense so much and there's only a level of speed you can go when you're not tackling or not thudding up.
"It's great to see another defense, it's more reps for us to be able to see different defenses and different coverage," Herbert added. "It was great for the offensive line, the receivers and everyone else as well."
On the flip side, the Chargers defense won the day in the 2-minute drill against the 49ers by closing out the joint practice on a high note.
The Bolts kept both the 49ers first and second-team offenses out of the end zone as San Francisco needed go 60 yards for a touchdown.
The Chargers held a 4-point lead with 80 seconds left.
Brock Purdy was under center for the 49ers against the Chargers top defense, who were without cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Donte Jackson.
Purdy completed his first pass before his second was broken up over the middle by Nikko Reed. After a 10-yard run, Deane Leonard followed it up with a pass breakup of his own.
The 49ers then completed back-to-back passes to get into the red zone before the Chargers defense buckled down as they denied four straight passes intended for the end zone.
Rookie undrafted free agent Avery Smith nearly had an interception after fellow UDFA cornerback Rodney Shelley deflected Purdy's throw.
On fourth down, Purdy scrambled left and looked for Demarcus Robinson in the end zone, but Daiyan Henley got there right on time to break up the pass and get the turnover on downs.
Mac Jones led the next 49ers group and moved the offense down to the 32-yard line with 10 ticks left.
But the Bolts defense secured the win as they forced back-to-back incompletions, the final one being a Hail Mary out of the back of the end zone as time expired.
2. Hampton sets the tone on offense
Herbert and the Chargers offense produced plenty of big plays through the air Tuesday morning.
But the biggest ovation came for Hampton during a full-team drill when he trucked a 49ers defender on a run up the middle.
The second-year running back burst up the middle and made easy work of 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown by sending him to the turf as Hampton's teammates roared in approval.
Hampton then turned up the physicality, shaking off other defenders in the team period as he set the tone on offense.
"He's incredibly tough. He leads by example and doesn't say much, but what he does on the field is so loud," Herbert said. "Guys respect him and it's so cool to hand him the ball and see what he's able to do. He's an incredible athlete, incredible competitor and I'm glad he's on my side of the ball."
Hampton wasn't the only one to turn heads on the ground, however, as Keaton Mitchell ripped off multiple explosive runs, too.
Mitchell's first one came when tight end David Njoku pancaked a 49ers defender for a large gain to the right that was also aided by blocking from fellow tight end Charlie Kolar.
After a Mitchell run to the left picked up big yards, Alt then swallowed up All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner on a block in the middle of the field to create a big run to the right.
Herbert also aired it out Tuesday with numerous explosive plays to different receivers.
The first big play was a 20-plus yard gain to Quentin Johnston before the wide receiver made a highlight-reel play with a 1-handed catch down the left sideline while both falling down and drawing a flag.
Njoku also showed up in the passing game, too, by catching a 60-yard touchdown pass that saw him pop wide open down the right sideline.
Herbert also connected on explosive plays to McConkey, Hampton and Brenen Thompson, although the latter play might have been a sack in a real game.
Derius Davis also had a strong day by drawing a flag on a pass from Trey Lance before catching a deep pass from DJ Uiagalelei.
Before practice, Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh outlined what he was looking for in the joint session.
"A winning practice. I know we're super excited to have this joint practice with the 49ers," Harbaugh said. "Got a lot of great situations in for today, a lot of good 11-on-11. Good for us and I think it will be good for the 49ers so win-win."
He later added: "We're focused on getting really good work."
3. Tuipulotu highlights Chargers defense
Tuli Tuipulotu's impact was felt for the entirety of Tuesday's joint practice.
The fourth-year edge rusher was a force all morning long, notching a number of tackles for loss or no gain in the run game and would-be sacks when Purdy dropped back.
His morning could be best summed up in the first two plays of full-team drill when the Bolts defense gave up roughly four yards in the first six plays.
Tuipulotu got through the 49ers line to stop running back Kaelon Black for a loss on first-and 10, effectively ending the play before it started.
He then got right back on the line and got through again, forcing a Purdy scramble and short completion that would've likely been a sack in a game scenario.
The aforementioned six-play sequence was one of the strongest stretches of the day for the unit, as Khalil Mack notched two would-be sacks and Bud Dupree notched a tackle for no gain.
Tuipulotu and Mack were in midseason form all day.
Other highlights of the day came from Eric Rogers and linebacker Del'Shawn Phillips, who notched the only two takeaways of the practice.
Rogers' big play came on a second-and-10 pass from Jones as the young cornerback was able to play sticky coverage and turn his head around to secure the interception.
Phillips' interception later came in the red zone with the 49ers facing a third-and goal situation.
With Purdy looking for tight end Luke Farrell, safety Derwin James, Jr., deflect the pass as it landed in Phillips' hands.
For more info on camp, check out the Chargers Training Camp Hub.
