The Chargers announced Thursday that Rashawn Slater sustained a torn patellar tendon earlier the day in practice and will undergo surgery to repair the injury. He will miss the 2025 season and be placed on Injured Reserve.
Slater was blocking in a team drill when he went down and had to leave the field on a cart. Teammates and coaches gathered around Slater before he left the field.
You certainly feel for Slater, who just signed a multi-year contract extension on July 27th.
A first-round pick in 2021, he’s since developed into one of the league’s best tackles as he has two Pro Bowls and a Second-Team All-Pro honor on his resumé.
But now the focus will turn to how the Chargers adapt without one of their offensive linemen. Immediately after the injury, Joe Alt shifted to left tackle and Trey Pipkins III slotted in at right tackle.
Alt, of course, was a stud left tackle at Notre Dame before the Chargers took him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
He had a standout rookie season, finishing with a 94.3 percent pass-block win rate, according to ESPN, which was the fourth-highest mark among offensive tackles in the regular season.
Alt started at left tackle in Week 18 of the 2024 season and also took reps there this offseason and during training camp, so having someone of Alt’s caliber to slot in at left tackle is a luxury the Bolts have.
Pipkins, presumably, will slide into a position he knows well at right tackle. Overall, Pipkins has played more than 3,000 career snaps at tackle. There’s a reason the Chargers kept him on the roster this offseason as he was projected to be the swing tackle before Slater went down.
The rest of the Chargers offensive line appears set with Zion Johnson at left guard, Bradley Bozeman at center and Mekhi Becton at right guard, as Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week he was getting close to settling on that starting group.
So, what now for the Bolts?
There’s no doubt that the Chargers will miss Slater in 2025, but Harbaugh also prides his team on being tough and adaptable.
The Bolts open the season in 29 days against the Chiefs in Brazil, meaning there is plenty of time to get a revamped starting unit together and have them gel before September 5.
With four weeks (and a day) to go until the 2025 season opener in Brazil, Harbaugh and his staff will no doubt have the offensive line ready to go for the upcoming season.
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