The Los Angeles Chargers Find Their Way Back To San Diego

The Chargers returned to San Diego on Tuesday.

Not the San Diego Chargers, mind you, but the Los Angeles Chargers settled in the city they called home for nearly six decades.

The Chargers continue their race to get ready for their first preseason game which is coming fast on July 31 and will feature former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

There are two days of practices at the University of San Diego, their first in pads, and a walk-through aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during L.A.’s brief visit to America’s Finest City.

It was a homecoming for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, too.

Not only did Harbaugh play his final two seasons with the San Diego Chargers – including their worst year in franchise history – but he started his head-coaching career at USD.

It was clear the Chargers were getting their work accomplished between the sidelines with spirited drills being conducted in every direction.

But a case could also be made that they were working the margins, as in the fans which filled about half of Torero Stadium, and the jilted ones that remain livid over the Chargers fleeing to L.A. after the 2016 season.

San Diego, of course, is still without an NFL squad to call its own and that leaves thousands of fans unable to cheer on their favorite squad.

Possibly this was a baby step in the Chargers reaching out to those miffed customers, hoping they can lure them back with a coach they know, a quarterback they can appreciate and a defense which carries its weight.

It was an odd collision of Chargers experiences, past and present, as the San Diego and L.A. versions merged in numerous ways.

There were countless reminders of what once was with boosters rocking Dan Fouts, Junior Seau, Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson jerseys.

There were poster boards featuring photos of Shawn Merriman and Rodney Harrison in action.

One could even purchase the latest Chargers gear, especially the goods in baby blue, the color which once signified a squad known for lots of offense and for providing even more fun.

Rivers, who made his mark in San Diego, recently announced he’s going to sign a one-day deal to retire as a Bolt.

Harbaugh still owns a home in nearby Coronado and never shies from showing his love for San Diego. But the man who will talk about anything and everything, didn’t bite about these workouts being a forgiving salvo to the disillusioned, one-time fans.

“I don’t know what to say about that,’’ Harbaugh said. ”I’ve never heard once the olive-branch analogy used. We love our fans and we got them.

“We love our L.A. fans, we love our San Diego fans, Santa Barbara, Fresno, and it’s just really cool that we just want to go to them, wherever they might be.’’

During that the Chargers’ San Diego stint, from 1962-2016, a constant was an outstanding quarterback. Justin Herbert would fit in with that lineage as no one has thrown for more yards in their first five years than Herbert.

Like Fouts, Herbert was a star at Oregon before landing with the Chargers. Like Rivers, Herbert has a right arm which is accurate and productive.

“We know how special (Rivers) is and how much he has meant to this organization,’’ Herbert said. “I grew up watching him and the amount of respect I have for him as a teammate, leader, quarterback and father, he’s done everything.”

There was one thing Rivers didn’t do which cemented his status with San Diego Chargers fans. When the team moved north, Rivers elected to stay put and commute each work day.

Herbert tipped his cap not only to Rivers, but to San Diego, as well.

“It’s a special place and I think the community, and unfortunately I didn’t get to experience it, but I heard stories of how special this place was,’’ Herbert said. “And for us to come back and just go practice, even that was a really cool experience.”

The Chargers aren’t desperate for fans, despite a narrative that says their move to L.A. was misguided.

According to NFL figures, they averaged 69,967 spectators for home games, filling up 97.9 percent of SoFi Stadium, a slight increase from 2023.

But that doesn’t match the L.A. Rams’ numbers, with about 3,200 more spectators on average, per game.

It’s no secret that the Chargers’ relocation boosted the worth of their franchise by a significant degree.

According to Forbes, the Chargers were valued at $5.1 billion in 2024, thanks in part to being in the nation’s No. 2 media market. That was a 23 percent increase from 2023.

When the team fled San Diego, Forbes pegged the franchise’s worth at $2.08 billion.

So the Chargers circled back to San Diego, winners on the books but still losers to a pocket of former fans disgusted by their exit.

Time heals and just maybe a portion of those disgruntled ex-Chargers customers will return to the fold.

“Its amazing,’’ Derwin James Jr. said. “We love our fans everywhere but seeing this environment down here and how much support…I seen so many No. 3 jerseys today, the new colors, it made my heart warm having just so much support. I can’t wait to give them something to cheer for.’’

Some of those former patrons will never hip-hip-hooray for the Bolts. Others have turned the page, not letting a relocation remove a lifetime of memories, and future ones.

Whichever way one leans, it was something to see the lightning bolt back in San Diego.

“Competitors welcome,’’ Harbaugh is fond of saying.

Maybe the Chargers are competing, and as some will rightly say, against long odds to win back San Diego fans that once called them their home-town team.