Los Angeles Chargers 2026 training camp position battle to watch
· Yahoo Sports
NFL teams have wrapped up their respective organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps, and after a near month-long break, they’ll pick things back up near the end of July for training camp.
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The first preseason game takes place on Thursday, Aug. 6 on NBC when the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals face off in the Hall of Fame Game. The rest of the preseason’s first week will take place from Aug. 13-15, followed by Week 2 on Aug. 20-23, and Week 3 on Aug. 27-29.
But before the preseason gets underway, teams must first report to training camp. The Los Angeles Chargers haven’t announced the exact day they report to camp, but below is their biggest position battle to watch this summer.
Position Battle: Left guard | Trevor Penning vs. Kayode Awosika vs. Jake Slaughter
Trevor Penning #64 of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on during the national anthem prior to an NFL wild card playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)The Chargers have a giant hole to fill in the middle of their offensive line after the departure of 6-foot-3, 316-pound guard Zion Johnson, the team’s first-round pick in 2022.
Johnson logged 1,130 offensive snaps last year, allowing 29 pressures, 17 hurries, and five sacks. In replacing him, L.A. has two experienced veterans and a rookie to choose from.
Trevor Penning enters camp as the presumed favorite. The 27-year-old has 33 NFL starts under his belt, and he’s well-traveled along the offensive line with 1,081 snaps at right tackle, 511 snaps at left tackle, 358 snaps at left guard, and 90 at right guard.
Though Penning has more starting experience, Awosika actually has more experience playing guard in the NFL. Across five seasons (four with the Detroit Lions, one with the Philadelphia Eagles), he’s logged 615 snaps at left guard and 358 at right guard.
Slaughter is the wild card here.
The Chargers thought highly of Slaughter, taking him in the second round of the 2026 draft — one of four offensive linemen they selected (OT Travis Burke, OG Logan Taylor, OG Alex Harkey).
Slaughter played his entire college career at center (2,142 snaps), but the Chargers are high on his potential moving to guard. Slaughter enters camp third in the race, but don’t be surprised if he ends up getting some playing time at guard as a rookie.
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