Los Angeles Football Is Back: Rams and Chargers Begin the 2026 NFL Season

Los Angeles Football Is Back: Rams and Chargers Begin the Road to the 2026 NFL Season
Training camps are underway, the Rams and Chargers are preparing for a Battle for Los Angeles, and SoFi Stadium is moving closer to hosting another Super Bowl.
The sound of football has returned to Los Angeles.
Whistles are blowing, quarterbacks are testing new plays and players are competing for positions as the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers begin training camp for the 2026 NFL season.
For football fans across Southern California, the opening of training camp represents more than the return of another sports season. It begins a seven-month journey that will include international games, prime-time matchups, a Rams-Chargers showdown at SoFi Stadium and the countdown to Super Bowl LXI in Inglewood.
Los Angeles is once again at the center of the football world.
The Rams Return to Loyola Marymount University
The Rams are holding seven public training-camp practices at Loyola Marymount University from July 27 through August 6. Tickets are free, although fans must register in advance and attendance is limited.
Expectations surrounding the Rams are considerable.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford enters camp as the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player after recording career highs of 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes during the 2025 season. Stafford looked sharp during his first 2026 training-camp practice, completing passes to receivers Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Konata Mumpfield.
The Rams’ offense brings together some of the most recognizable names in football. Stafford remains the experienced leader, while Nacua and Adams give Los Angeles a high-profile receiving combination capable of creating problems for opposing defenses.
The defense also enters camp with major additions, including pass rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Trent McDuffie. Garrett participated in team drills during the opening days of camp, while McDuffie began adjusting to his new teammates and defensive responsibilities.
Head coach Sean McVay and his staff now face the challenge of converting an impressive collection of talent into a team capable of returning to the Super Bowl.
The excitement is real, but training camp is where reputations must become results.
The Chargers Open Camp at The Bolt
The Chargers opened training camp July 29 at The Bolt, the team’s headquarters and training facility in El Segundo.
The team has scheduled 14 practices open to the public through August 18. Attendance is free, but fans must register for tickets. Capacity at The Bolt is limited to 2,000 spectators per practice.
The Chargers will also hold two public practices at the University of San Diego on August 4 and 5. Fans attending selected practices will have access to merchandise, food trucks, autograph opportunities and other activities.
For the Chargers, the season begins with quarterback Justin Herbert and the possibility of an evolving offense.
Herbert enters camp working with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, whose system could create new opportunities for the Chargers’ franchise quarterback. The team’s quarterback group also includes Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei.
The offensive line will be another important storyline. Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt return as the leading members of a group that will determine how effectively the Chargers can protect Herbert and establish their running game. Competition at left guard is among the most important position battles of camp.
Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers will attempt to become a consistent championship contender in a competitive AFC West.
Training camp will provide the first meaningful indication of whether the team is ready to take that next step.
Two Teams, One Football City
Los Angeles has the unusual distinction of being home to two NFL franchises sharing one of the world’s most recognizable sports venues.
That creates one of the season’s most compelling local storylines: Which team will control the football conversation in Los Angeles?
The Rams and Chargers will meet during the preseason at SoFi Stadium on August 27. They will return to the same field for a regular-season matchup on November 1, with the Rams serving as the home team.
The November game deserves to be called the Battle for Los Angeles.
It will place two different organizations, fan bases, quarterbacks and coaching philosophies on the same field. It will also provide local fans with a rare opportunity to see both Los Angeles teams compete without leaving the city.
The teams have met only occasionally during the regular season, which gives the game additional significance.
It will not settle every debate over which team owns Los Angeles, but it will provide the winner with citywide bragging rights.
The Rams Begin the Season in Australia
The Rams will begin their regular season with a historic international matchup against the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The game will be played in Melbourne on Friday, September 11, and shown live in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 10, at approximately 5:35 p.m. Pacific Time. It will be the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia.
Opening the season against an NFC West rival would already create national interest. Playing the game on another continent makes it one of the most unusual season openers in Rams history.
After returning from Australia, the Rams will host the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium on Monday, September 21. The schedule also includes prime-time games against Buffalo, Green Bay and Kansas City, followed by a Christmas night matchup in Seattle.
The Rams’ 2026 season will not be short on national attention.
The Chargers Open at SoFi Stadium
The Chargers begin the regular season at SoFi Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, September 13.
Their schedule includes division games against the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs, along with home matchups against Houston, the New York Jets, New England and San Francisco.
The Chargers’ November 29 game against the New England Patriots will be played in prime time, while their December 17 home game against the San Francisco 49ers will be shown nationally.
Before the regular season begins, the Chargers will play three preseason games: at Houston on August 13, against San Francisco on August 20 and against the Rams on August 27.
Los Angeles Football Extends Beyond the Scoreboard
Football in Los Angeles has always been connected to more than wins and losses.
At SoFi Stadium, the sport intersects with entertainment, music, fashion, celebrity culture, advertising and business. Games frequently become major social events, bringing together athletes, entertainers, corporate leaders and fans from across Southern California.
That makes Los Angeles football different.
The season is not only about what happens during four quarters. It is also about the personalities behind the players, the celebrities in the stands, the music surrounding game day, the fashion arriving at the stadium and the businesses benefiting from one of America’s largest sports markets.
These are the stories Hollywood Weekly will follow throughout the season.
The Road Leads Back to SoFi Stadium
The 2026 season carries additional importance because the NFL’s championship game is returning to Los Angeles.
Super Bowl LXI will be played at SoFi Stadium on February 14, 2027. It will be the second Super Bowl held at the stadium in five years and the ninth hosted by the greater Los Angeles region.
Super Bowl week will transform Los Angeles into the center of sports and entertainment.
The city will welcome football fans, corporate sponsors, musicians, celebrities, media organizations and visitors from around the world. Concerts, brand events, hospitality programs and community activities will surround the game.
For the Rams and Chargers, the dream is clear: play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
For Los Angeles, the season represents another opportunity to demonstrate why the city remains one of the world’s leading destinations for sports and entertainment.
Follow the Complete Los Angeles Football Story
Hollywood Weekly will follow Los Angeles football beyond the scoreboard throughout the 2026 season.
Coverage will include:
Rams and Chargers reports
Player profiles and interviews
Weekly game previews
The Battle for Los Angeles
Football fashion and entertainment
Celebrity fans and game-day culture
Sports memorabilia and collectibles
SoFi Stadium events
The road to Super Bowl LXI
Los Angeles football is back—and this season promises international attention, local rivalries, major personalities and unforgettable moments.
Subscribe to Hollywood Weekly
Join Hollywood Weekly for a complete year of Los Angeles football, entertainment and culture coverage.
The $95 annual digital subscription includes weekly features, subscriber editions, original profiles, special football reports and Hollywood Weekly’s complete Super Bowl LXI Los Angeles coverage.
No Gossip. Strictly Entertainment—and Los Angeles Football.
Suggested WordPress excerpt:
Los Angeles football is back as the Rams and Chargers open training camp for the 2026 NFL season, prepare for a Battle for Los Angeles and begin the road toward Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.