Chargers and Cardinals to Have Joint Practices During Training Camp

The Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers will hold joint practices in San Diego in August, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The teams are set to play a preseason game on August 19, so the practices will likely take place in the days leading up to the contest.

Chargers head coach Mike McCoy confirmed the news on Monday, per Gehlken, but he did not give exact dates since he and Arizona head coach Bruce Arians are still discussing the logistics.

McCoy, who has not engaged in intersquad practices since becoming the head coach in 2013, noted that the idea provides benefits for both teams.

"It's not only us," he said, per Gehlken. "It's the other opponent also. ... You get to see your players play against a different scheme, against different players. You get into that training camp mode of going against the same guy every day, so you change it up. The tempo is going to pick up."

San Diego veterans Brandon Flowers and Danny Woodhead approved of the idea, saying it gives the players a chance to go against other guys instead of teammates, which increases the intensity of practice, per Gehlken.

The coaches better be sure the competition does not get too intense. Last year, an intersquad practice between the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins turned into a brawl, per NFL.com.

The practices will allow San Diego to compete against an Arizona team that played in the NFC Championship Game last season, which will let it know where it stands among the league's best. Meanwhile, the Cardinals can figure out whether they need to sharpen up if they play poorly against the Chargers.

Expect the preseason game between the two to be more intense than most exhibition contests, as some players may have scores to settle from their practices.