Rehab is going better than he ever anticipated. If it keeps at this pace, with the gains outpacing the setbacks, with him able to manage the discomfort, Antonio Gates believes he will “definitely be ready for the opener.”

But Gates won't just come back to be back.

“This team is too talented and too dedicated to winning for me to come back and not be ready to contribute,” said Gates, who had surgery on his left big toe in late February. “I wouldn't shortchange this team. Being out there and playing is one thing, but contributing is another.”

Gates, who is running and cutting up to twice a day on a side field but has yet to practice, had his fill of being just a stand-in in last season's playoffs. The three-time All-Pro won't tolerate being covered solely by a linebacker anymore. If he can't be the Antonio Gates that changes defenses, it would be better to watch from the sideline.

Said Gates: “Seventy-five percent of Antonio Gates is not better than 100 percent of Brandon (Manumaleuna) or 100 percent of Scott Chandler.”

Shake, rattle, roll over

Earthquake? What earthquake?

Once everybody has reported to training camp and pads have begun to collide like tectonic plates, the ground tends to vibrate around Chargers Park, but this time everything really was shaking. Not that many of the Chargers players noticed the earthquake that hit Southern California late in the morning, not long after a special-teams practice.

“Slept right through it,” said linebacker Shawne Merriman after the full-squad afternoon session. “I woke up and had a bunch of text messages from people asking if I felt it. I said, 'Felt what?' Funny thing is, my biggest fear moving to Cali was earthquakes. And sharks. And I slept through my first earthquake.”

Blast from past

Bill Goldberg, known with more familiarity by just his last name, is a former professional wrestler who once ruled the ring and now runs a training facility in Oceanside and is a commentator for mixed martial arts contests. Evidently, he goes way back with some of the Chargers, most notably their head coach.

“I know Goldberg!” said Norv Turner. “I coached him with the (Los Angeles) Rams, and in D.C. he did the opening for my (Washington Redskins) TV show. My youngest son is more impressed with that than knowing any of our players.”

What kind of football player was Goldberg?

“He was scrappy; he got after it,” said Turner. “He had a great soufflé.”

Soufflé???

“Back soufflé, is that what they called it?” said Turner. “Suplex! That's what they called it.

Marty joins the media

Sirius Satellite Radio today will announce former Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer will host two shows a week during the season on Sirius NFL Radio. Schottenheimer will make his debut co-hosting a show from noon to 4 p.m. Monday at Carolina's training camp. After that, his regular schedule will feature a three-hour show every Monday at 7 a.m. and a two-hour show every Thursday at 10 a.m.

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Staff writer Jay Posner contributed to this report.