Chargers Shift Gears After Two-Time Pro Bowl Offensive Tackle’s Season-Ending Injury

The Los Angeles Chargers suffered a major setback this week, losing star left tackle Rashawn Slater for the season after he tore his patellar tendon during Thursday’s practice. The two-time Pro Bowler, fresh off signing a record-breaking four-year, $114 million extension in July, leaves behind a massive void at one of the most important positions on the field. Head coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t sugarcoat it, calling the loss a “gut punch,” but he also made it clear the team already has a plan to adapt. That plan starts with rookie Joe Alt, the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Alt, who played his entire rookie year at right tackle, will now slide over to his more natural position at left tackle, a spot he dominated during his college career at Notre Dame. In 32 of his 33 career starts for the Fighting Irish, Alt lined up on the left side, earning first-team All-American honors in 2022 and becoming a unanimous All-American and Outland Trophy finalist in 2023.

With Alt moving to the blindside, Trey Pipkins will shift from his right guard role back to right tackle, a position he knows well after starting there for most of his first five seasons. Pipkins, entering the final year of his contract, sees this as both a challenge and an opportunity. “I talked to Rashawn, and his spirits are as good as they can be,” Pipkins said, noting Slater was even joking around despite the grim news. Harbaugh emphasized confidence in his group: “I know my team. I know they’re gonna step up. I don’t go with the cliché ‘next man up.’ I know they’re going to do it.” For now, the starting offensive line is projected to be Alt at left tackle, Zion Johnson at left guard, Bradley Bozeman at center, Mekhi Becton at right guard, and Pipkins at right tackle.

The Chargers aren’t ruling out reinforcements. Harbaugh confirmed they’ll explore the free-agent market and bring in players for workouts before Sunday’s preseason matchup against the New Orleans Saints. For Alt, stepping into Slater’s role carries extra meaning. “We’re brothers,” he said. “The goal is to play as well as five is one… to do what he would want us to do.” The Chargers will need that unity if they hope to weather this storm and keep their playoff hopes alive.