EL SEGUNDO — Edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu was in pads again and practicing with fellow Chargers outside linebackers Thursday at The Bolt.
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“We’re fired up,” defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said. “He looks good and it was great to get back involved in some team stuff and watch him work out there.”
The team’s 2025 sacks leader was a full participant for the first time this preseason Wednesday for the team’s walkthrough practice in San Diego, and Thursday appeared another step forward in what coach Jim Harbaugh has called Tuipulotu’s “ramp-up” process.
While Harbaugh has yet to reveal why Tuipulotu has been slow to be a full participant, the former USC star’s approach to camp is suspected to be related to the Pro Bowler’s rookie contract, which is set to expire at the end of this season.
With Tuipulotu back in the fold, O’Leary added that his unit actually came out with too much energy Thursday, and he had to get his players to pull back.
“We had to turn it down a little bit today,” the first-time NFL defensive coordinator said. “Started off a little too physical, which is a good thing to feel, but we got to practice smarter. … It’s a fine line, but at the end of the day we got to protect our team and we got to protect our offense.”
Cornerback Donte Jackson offered a different perspective. The eighth-year veteran was happy to see the enthusiasm and emotion that’s come over the team, aligning with how he’s approached practice throughout his career.
“I take a lot out of practice,” Jackson said. “If I make a great play in practice, I’m going to feel the same way as if I made it in the game. … I like to think of myself as a game wrecker, somebody who can turn a game around at any moment and make a play. So I practice that way. … We have a lot of guys like that.”
Jackson added that Tuesday and Wednesday’s practices in San Diego were particularly meaningful to him, allowing him to connect with diehard Chargers fans.
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The Chargers called San Diego home from 1961 to 2016, before infamously jumping to Los Angeles in 2017.
O’Leary called the cornerbacks room the defensive unit with the most potential, given their two rookies plus a trio of players with one season or less in the league – praise that veterans like Jackson and Tarheeb Still were surely happy to hear.
“You got those rookie corners that are so young and so moldable and they have that speed, that twitch, that competitiveness, so there’s a lot to be liked there,” O’Leary said. “The two of the guys (Cam Hart and Still) that we got that are established guys are only in their third year, so, to me, that’s a room that can keep ascending.”
Jackson, set to turn 31 in November, is entering his ninth season and second with the Chargers. He has embraced his role as the elder statesman, seeing it as a way to not only help his teammates develop, but to ultimately help the team win.
“A lot of those young dudes have been watching me since they were in middle school, high school,” Jackson said. “I just try to just be as open as I can. I know I still have a job to do.”
Meanwhile, Still is more than happy to step up as a leader in the cornerback room. He admitted he’s surprised by how fast he’s gone from year one to year three.
Jackson was quick to give Still his vote of confidence.
“He’s a Swiss Army knife,” Jackson said. “He does everything in the secondary. He can play dime. He can play safety. He can play nickel. Obviously, he’s a great outside corner as well. Sky’s the limit for Tarheeb. He’s one of the smartest players I ever played against.”
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The Chargers are off Friday, but resume camp Saturday in El Segundo.