The Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast

With 4 days until the 2026 NFL Draft, we’ve invited “Mr Xs&Os” himself, Ryan Watkins from The Powderkeg Podcast, back on the show for the Chargers’ Ultimate 2026 Draft Guide. Together, Ryan and Al share their views on this class based on 1,000+ hours of All-22 tape evaluation, working through all of the key position groups and the prospects they think best fit the Chargers’ needs. Will there be fierce disagreement between these two, headstrong and passionate, tape dawgs? Listen to find out #BoltFam!

With only a little more than a week until the 2026 NFL Draft, we run through some different Mock Draft exercises for the #TDUCrew forecasting different possible outcomes for the Chargers this year. Does it matter which position gets taken in Round 1? What does a draft with a ‘trade’ look like? Join us to find out

It’s 3 weeks until the 2026 NFL Draft and what better time to welcome Guilty as Charged’s Steven and Tyler back on Thunder Down Under Chargers! Together we discuss all the recent team news before undertaking a critical off-season exercise: Setting the Chargers’ Big Board! What discussions would GM Joe Hortiz, Assistant GM Chad Alexander and their scouts be having behind closed doors? Which draft prospects are the best fits for the Bolts? What strategy should be applied on Draft Day? We discuss it all so listen to find out!

For a third consecutive free agency, the Chargers have had a deathly quiet start to proceedings and fans have seriously had enough! Armed with the most cap space in the NFL, GM Joe Hortiz has adopted a cautious, targeted approach, staying true to his Baltimore origins. Big names like Odafe Oweh and Zion Johnson have departed. Lesser-known names like Keaton Mitchell, Charlie Kolar, Alec Ingold and Cole Strange have arrived. Are these shrewd football decisions by the Bolts’ top man or is it simply parsimonious tosh?! Is he the best or is he the worst GM in the League?! In...

TDU IS BACK IN TOWN! After a restful break, we return to the airwaves to discuss all the recent Chargers news and the team’s 2026 offseason plan. Oh yes, Hortiz has made his first big move of free agency this morning signing a new starting Center, former Commander Tyler Biadasz, to a 3yr, $30m deal. But there are still so many questions left to answer. Is some Mega Trade on the horizon? Which free agents (internal or external) will Hortiz prioritise applying the most cap space in the NFL towards? We address it all on our first show of TD...

It’s been only three weeks since the Chargers lost in the Wild Card Round but so much has happened! Some of it bittersweet (Coach Minter becoming the new Ravens HC) and some of it incredibly exciting: yes, that’s right #TDUCrew, former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel will be calling the plays for Justin Herbert in 2026 as his new Offensive Coordinator! Today on TDU we go LIVE with our buddies from the PowderKeg Podcast to discuss all the recent team news, share our 2025 Season Takeaways, and enjoy a lightning round of Q&A about the offseason ahead. Oh Chargers, ever...

So, the Chargers lost in the Wild Card Round and Justin Herbert played his worst game of the season. Does that sound familiar, #BoltFam? This is the grim reality now facing the team after its 16-3 loss to New England following which OC Greg Roman and OL Coach Mike Devlin were fired: DC Jesse Minter is almost certainly leaving the team to be a Head Coach somewhere else next season; Justin Herbert is 0-3 in the Playoffs; and he will be asked to learn a 5th offensive system under a new Offensive Coordinator in 2026 (whoever that is). Never have...

The Chargers’ 2025 regular season concluded on Sunday with a “meaningless” game against the Broncos at Mile High, Denver. Most of the team’s important starters were rested ahead of the playoffs, but Harbaugh’s men nevertheless battled manfully – led by QB2 Trey Lance. After a while, the disparity between the Broncos’ starters and Bolts’ back-ups became too great, and the Broncos secured victory 19-3 (also claiming the AFC’s #1 overall seed in the process). Now, Wild Card Round beckons. The moment is almost here. And it is to New England, Massachusetts, that Justin Herbert, Derwin James, Khalil Mack, and the rest of the te...

The Texans snapped the Chargers four game win streak in Wk 17 and, with the 20-16 loss, the AFC West Title is now officially out of reach for Jim Harbaugh’s men. A slow start on Defense left the team in a 14-0 hole and, despite some Justin Herbert heroics in the second half, 5 sacks from the Houston Defense was enough to secure a narrow victory. With a playoff spot confirmed and only Wild Card seeding left to be settled, how should the Bolts approach their Wk 18 trip to Denver? Join us as we recap Sunday’s action and work thro...

Christmas is just around the corner and the #BoltFam can REJOICE following a comfortable 34-17 win by the team in Dallas, the Chargers’ fourth consecutive victory. With a Broncos loss in Wk 16 and the AFC West well and truly alive, join us on TDU today as we recap the Bolts’ trip to Jerrah World, read through Santa’s Naughty and Nice List for Season 2025, and share our score predictions for a big Wk 17 match-up against the Texans. Don’t miss it!

The conditions were frigid and the crowd was frosty at Arrowhead on Sunday, but nothing could stop the Harbaugh-led Bolts from bringing their best when their best was needed against the Kansas City Chiefs. In their first season sweep of Big Red's Big Babies since 2013, the Chargers were rugged, ruthless and showed dogged determination, winning the turnover battle, and ultimately the game, 16-13. It wasn't pretty but it was enough to get the job done and the #BoltFam rejoiced. Join us today for a special episode of TDU recorded LIVE after the game. Don't miss the Victory Pod!

In one of the craziest games of the season, the Chargers defeated the reigning Super Bowl Champions on Monday Night Football in a seesaw-ing Overtime affair featuring 8 total turnovers! Nursing a broken hand, Herbert showed courage all night and willed his team to victory. The Defense came to play and ultimately sealed the game with their fourth interception of Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, a tip from CB Cam Hart landing in the waiting arms of veteran S Tony Jefferson by the shadow of the Chargers’ own Endzone in OT. Now boasting a 9-4 record, the Bolts schedule doesn’t get...

The Los Angeles Chargers completed a 2025 sweep of the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi on Sunday, winning comfortably by three scores and improving their season record to 8-4. RB Kimani Vidal’s stellar 126-yard performance on the ground made him the first Bolts Back since Melvin Gordon (in 2018) to exceed the 100-yard rushing mark 3x in a single season. However, the biggest story emerging from the game was QB Justin Herbert’s broken left hand – suffered on a missed tackle attempt in the open field – which required surgery on Monday and put his status for Wk 14 MNF against the Eagles i...

Fresh off Bye Week, the Chargers will be seeking to improve their 7-4 record against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, at home. Today – on a special TDU YouTube Live show – we welcome our buddy, Ryan Watkins from the PowderKeg Podcast. Together, we share our biggest lessons and takeaways from the season so far, enjoy some lightning Q&A, and answer questions from our #BoltFam audience. Don’t miss it!

It was déjà vu for the #BoltFam on Sunday, as the Chargers strolled into Jacksonville in Wk 11 with a quiet confidence, but left knowing they’d experienced a seismic season-shifting loss. The Jags 35-6 Bolt Beatdown was the most lopsided time of possession imbalance of any game in Coach Harbaugh’s NFL Career. Not wanting his Coach to suffer the ignominy of a career low statistical mark alone, Herbert also passed for his lowest career yardage total in a game (81). As the team now enters their bye week, admittedly their chances of making the playoffs remain high. Their overal...

On Sunday Night Football in Wk 10, the Chargers showed the world they have what it takes – even with Joe Alt out for the season – to challenge the very best teams in 2025. It was a night where Keenan Allen surpassed Antonio Gates as the All-Time Franchise Receptions Leader, and the #BoltFam were treated to a special team performance. In an absolute beatdown of the Steelers, Jesse Minter’s Defense held Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Offense to 3 total points until junk time in Q4. The Chargers Offense, relying on Justin Herbert and the rush Offense, did just enough to keep the St...

Every week presents a different challenge in the NFL. In Wk 9, the Chargers were confronted by a plucky Titans team who punched above their weight class early at Nissan Stadium, scoring 14 points in Q1 courtesy of a pick-six and a 67 yd punt return TD. Adding injury to insult, the Chargers lost Offensive Tackles Bobby Hart (for the day) and Joe Alt (sadly, for the season) before half-time. However, in a gritty second half performance, the Bolts stuck together and clawed their way to victory; a fitting tribute to their starting LB Daiyan Henley whose older brother sadly passed away...

Heading into TNF against the Minnesota Vikings in Wk 8, the Chargers had won only 1 of their previous 4 games. But with superstar left tackle, Joe Alt, returning from injury – and wearing their Navy “Super Chargers” gear – the Bolts responded as any well-coached football team with playoff aspirations should. By half-time, they’d taken a 21-3 lead at home. And in the second half, they rubbed salt into Carson Wentz’s wounds, storming home to a 37-10 annihilation of Kevin O’Connell’s visiting Vikes. In a balanced team effort, Kimani Vidal led the way on Offense with 117 yds on the ground (his seco...

The Chargers ran into a buzzsaw on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The Indianapolis Colts Offense, powered by their Elite OL and early NFL MVP candidate RB Jonathan Taylor, did as they pleased all afternoon against a helpless Jesse Minter Defense. Taylor ran for 3 TDs, Daniel Jones passed for 2 scores, and the Colts amassed 38 points and 401 Total Yards. For the Bolts, the shining light was rookie Oronde Gadsden whose 164 rec yards was the 3rd highest total ever by a Chargers TE. Herbert’s 420 passing yards were also the most of his career in a single game. Ultimately, it didn’t matt...

A Herculean Justin Herbert willed his team to victory on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. With 0:36 remaining in Q4 – and the Chargers trailing by 1 point – Herbert managed to either shake off or evade multiple would-be tacklers and find Ladd McConkey late over the middle, on a crosser, for the 42 yd completion advancing the ball deep into Dolphins’ territory and into field goal range. The rest was history. Dicker drilled the 33-yarder and the Bolts snapped their 2-game losing streak ascending to 4-2 atop the AFC West. Join us today as we break down all the Wk 6 Chargers action...

The first quarter turned out to be a liar on Sunday at SoFI Stadium. The Chargers took an early 10-0 lead. But from there, the Commanders played lights out football scoring 27 unanswered points and winning the game comfortably as the Bolts committed multiple penalties, turnovers and suffered some more untimely injuries (including to first round rookie phenom Omarion Hampton). Today, we recap the action from Wk 5. And then, following back-to-back defeats, we thought it was as good a time as ever to bring out the #TDUMailbag and answer some listener questions. Don’t miss it!

The Chargers’ sweet start to the season was soured on Sunday at the MetLife Stadium. In an upset performance, rookie QB Jaxson Dart scored twice and did just enough at the helm to lead the Giants to a 21-18 victory. The true victors on the day were the Giants’ Defensive Line, who constantly pressured Herbert – their highlight play, a 37-yard INT return from 340 pounds Defensive Tackle Dexter Lawrence. As the Bolts dust themselves off from their first loss of the season and count their battle wounds (which include Joe Alt ending the game in a moon boot), today on TDU we...

The Bolts dug deep at SoFi on Sunday, overcoming a 7-point deficit to storm home in the final quarter and snatch victory against the Denver Broncos. Their 3-0 start is the Chargers’ best since 2002 and Coach Harbaugh’s transformative effect is clear for all to see. Facing significant adversity and a likely season-ending injury to RB Najee Harris in the first half, Greg Roman’s Offense found a way to produce two key second half TD drives and, after the Defense forced a three and out, a Cam Dicker walk-off field goal sealed the win 23-20. Herbert was relentlessly pursue...

The Chargers walked into Allegiant Stadium on MNF Football and waltzed away with an early 2-0 lead in the AFC West standings beating the home team Raiders 20-9 in a comfortable victory. The win was a whole team effort, but Coach Harbaugh singled out praise for Derwin James in his press conference, labelling him the ‘best safety he’s even seen in the history of the National Football League” after his stellar performance. Bolts fans know that Pete Carroll will be looking for his revenge later in the season, but for now #TDUCrew revel in the moment and enjoy this R...

São Paulo, Brazil will hold a special place in Chargers’ fans hearts after Herbert & the Bolts’ 27-21 Wk 1 statement win against the reigning conference winning Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night. In their first victory against Andy Reid & Patrick Mahomes since 2021, Justin Herbert passed for 318 yards, 3 TDs and added 32 yds with his legs, including the 19 yd scamper with 2:14 remaining in the game that sealed victory at Corinthians Stadium. Harbaugh’s Bolts controlled the contest from stat to finish, and whether Herbert’s performance was fuelled by ESPN Ryan Clark’s pre-game comments (‘whenever it matters, [Herbert]’s been terrible’), las...

THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Finally, real football begins for Season 2025 and today we preview the Chargers Wk 1 Opponent, those much-hated CHIEFS! We also discuss the Chargers’ initial 53, engage in a lightning round Q&A, bring out the #TDUMailbag and make some bold season predictions. Don't miss it!

Mercifully, the 2025 Preseason ended on Saturday and ‘real football’ is just around the corner for the Bolts (in Brazil!). Today on TDU we share our takeaways from the Chargers 2-2 preseason record. What did and didn’t matter? What did we see as important, challenging and interesting? We also look further afield to Tuesday’s roster cutdown, discussing Daniel Popper’s final 53 man prediction and sharing our own thoughts ahead of a busy few days for Joe Hortiz and Company at Chargers’ HQ. Don’t miss it!

A turbulent week for Chargers fans concluded on Sunday with a 27-13 victory against Kellen Moore and Brandon Staley’s Saints at SoFi Stadium. Earlier in the week, the joyous return of Keenan Allen to the Powder Blues on a 1yr deal was swiftly soured by news that franchise LT Rashawn Slater had suffered a serious knee injury at practice which scans confirmed will end his 2025 season prematurely. Yet there were no signs of the team slowing down on the field as the “next men up” performed admirably leading the Bolts to a 2-0 Preseason record. We discuss what it all...

Preseason Football’s arrived and the Los Angeles Chargers destroyed the Detroit Lions 34-7 in the NFL’s annual Hall of Fame game. Meanwhile, Bolts Legend Antonio Gates was handed his gold jacket in Canton, Ohio by fellow superstar LaDainian Tomlinson. Join us for a special Thunder Down Under Chargers episode as we break down the first piece of Chargers game action for 2025! Afterwards, we continue our Opponents Series, staying home within the division to talk about some well-known rivals. Can the Chiefs keep on keeping on? Is Pete Carroll’s quest for immediate 10-win seasons Raidiculous? And why is Sea...

Training Camp has begun and with it came the symbolic retirement of Philip Rivers and the shock retirement of Mike Williams! We dive into what this means for the Chargers Offense and share our other Training Camp Takeaways from the week. Afterwards, we continue our 2025 Opponents Series venturing deeper South within the AFC. Are the Texans a sleeping giant? Is Steichen one unsuccessful season away from becoming Bolts fans #1 Target for Chargers OC? Can Cam Ward pick the Titans up off the mat and in Duuuuuuuuvalll have the Jags hired another fizzer? Join us as we break it all...

It’s the eve of Training Camp which means it’s time for our 2025 Chargers Opponents Series! We kick things off today with a Training Camp Preview and NFC East Breakdown: a Tiffany division boasting last year’s Super Bowl winner and another final four team. Are the Eagles really that good? Can lightning strike twice for Jaylen Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury? Will Big Blue lay another Big Poo and has the Dallas Star lost its shine? Join us for the discussion!

We welcomed Adam “The WoolDog” Woolley from Charger Chat today to chat about the Bolts’ offseason! How excited are we for 2025? Has the team repaired any holes from last year’s roster? Are they ready to challenge the Chiefs? And who made our Mount Rushmore of underrated players? Join us to find out!

The Chargers have been putting in the work at OTAs and Mandatory Minicamp. But have the TDU boys been grinding too during their time off? Find out today as we return to the show for a discussion of everything Bolts-related this offseason, from Rashawn Slater’s contract negotiations to the customised patches Harbaugh’s had sewn to his players’ practice jerseys. Who’s got it better #BoltFam? Don't miss it!

The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books and the Chargers welcomed 9 new players into the #BoltFam! Join us today as we break down each player, hand out our draft grades, and share some winners & losers from around the NFL after a fantastic weekend of action. Don't miss it!

It’s draft season and the gloves are off! In this special crossover episode, Thunder Down Under locks horns with the Powderkeg Podcast in a no-holds-barred Mock Draft Showdown. Who nails the picks? Who reaches for a punter? And who should be banned from drafting ever again? Expect bold takes, plenty of banter, a few friendly jabs (okay, not that friendly), and a whole lot of Chargers chaos. We debate strategy, argue over prospects, and try not to completely destroy our friendships by Pick 22. Thunder vs Powderkeg. Draft boards will burn. Egos will bruise. Who comes out on top? Yo...

With only two weeks until the 2025 NFL Draft, on today’s show we unpack how the Chargers should ATTACK it! Building an NFL roster requires many decisions and different teams have different philosophies. Are their certain positions you should never draft in Round 1? Should you ever trade up? Should BPA or need mainly determine picks? We discuss it all on TDU. Don’t miss it

“It’s 3 weeks until the 2025 NFL Draft and what better time to welcome Guilty as Charged’s Steven and Tyler back on Thunder Down Under Chargers! Together we discuss all the recent team news before undertaking a critical off-season exercise: Setting the Chargers’ Big Board! What discussions would GM Joe Hortiz, Assistant GM Chad Alexander and their scouts be having behind closed doors? Which draft prospects are the best fits for the Bolts? What strategy should be applied on Draft Day? We discuss it all so listen to find out!”

“It was a deathly quiet first week of free agency for the Chargers and fans were angry! They thought GM Joe Hortiz had forgotten about the team’s $90m of cap space and that Herbert was being hung out to dry (again). Then the Chargers signed the largest OL in the NFL, Super Bowl Winning Right Guard, Mekhi Becton. Has Hortiz totally redeemed himself? Are there some more big moves coming #BoltFam? We discuss it all on TDU. Don’t miss it

TDU IS BACK IN TOWN! After a restful break, we return to the airwaves to discuss all the recent Chargers news and the team’s 2025 offseason plan. Oh yes, the Big Bear, Joey Bosa has been released. The Combine has come and gone. But there are still so many questions left for us to answer. Should other players be cut? Is a Metcalf Mega Trade on the horizon? Which free agents (internal or external) will Hortiz sign? We address it all on our first show of TDU Season 4. Don’t miss it!

The offseason is nearly upon us, but not before our End of Season Roundtable! Kyle De and Ryan Watkins from the Powderkeg Podcast joined us LIVE on YouTube to reflect on all the key moments of the 2024 season. We shared our best takes, played “Red Light, Green Light!”, and our guests became the most recent victims of the TDU Aussie Quiz. Don’t miss it!