At first, Danny Woodhead was unsure.

The way a lineman rolled into his ankle during a minicamp practice this June resembled the mechanism of a 2014 injury against the Bills that required surgery and ended his season. So, while the Chargers running back was down on the practice field and as medical personnel hurried toward him, concerned teammates asked him if he was OK.

And he couldn’t say.

“Not everyone knows this, but when I was in Buffalo, it hurt and I couldn’t get up on it, but it wasn’t until 30 seconds to a minute after when I was like, ‘Oh. This is bad,’” Woodhead said. “So I kind of gave it the 30 seconds to a minute. It wasn’t out of trying to be a jerk or anything, but I was just like, ‘I don’t know if I’m good yet. Let’s see. Let’s wait this out.’”


Time has passed.

He’s good.

The Chargers will report to training camp Friday and hold their first practice Saturday morning. Their spring ended with a scare, Woodhead suffering an ankle sprain that could’ve been far more severe. He walked off the field under his own power. This week, he will sprint back onto it.

More than six weeks separated the end of minicamp and start of training camp. That gave ample time to recover for Woodhead, who will participate in the ninth training camp of his NFL career and fourth in San Diego. He is ready for it.


“It took a couple weeks, but now I’m as healthy as I’ve been in a long time,” Woodhead said. “I feel great going into the season.”

Due to his contract situation, this camp theoretically could be his last as a Charger.

That, however, seems unlikely.

Trust may be the most valuable attribute between not only teammates but a player and his coaching staff. Woodhead belongs in both circles of trust like few at Chargers Park, equally dependable on and off the field. The trust factor combined with there seeming to be a clear amount of quality football ahead of him make him a candidate for a contract extension.


Age is the only caveat. Now 31, he hasn’t slowed down yet.

Last season, Woodhead became the first running back in franchise history to lead the Chargers in catches (80), receiving yards (755) and receiving touchdowns (six) in the same season. He didn’t fade down the stretch, catching 22 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns over the final three weeks.

He will turn 32 next January.

“In my rookie year and second year, I really didn’t play that much,” Woodhead said. “And then with the year I took off because of the ankle, that’s really three years that didn’t give me wear and tear. I really feel like I’m young. I feel like my body is young. … I feel like I’m 26. This might have been the best offseason I’ve had.


“If you were to ask me that five years ago, I would’ve said, ‘Yeah, right.’ But I still feel like I can do the same things as I did or better. As long as I can do the same things I was doing in year four, if I’m doing that or better, I don’t think it’s time for me to go for a while.”

Certainly, his time wasn’t up in June.

When the Chargers return to the field Saturday, so will he.

× Acee-Gehlken: Ready to Report