How Will the Chargers Finish the Season Without Their Star Tackle?

Joe Alt’s season-ending ankle injury came in a collision-heavy sequence that left the Chargers reeling and exposed a fragility on the roster they could not afford. During a late-game sequence, Alt was driven under and rolled on after a contested inside rush, aggravating an already tender ankle that he had only just returned to the lineup after missing multiple weeks with, and producing ligament damage severe enough to require surgery and end his year. That play came with the offense trying to protect a narrow lead, and the sudden loss flipped a promising game-day plan into emergency personnel management. Alt had been moved from right tackle to left after Rashawn Slater’s earlier patellar-tendon tear, and his transition had been one of the few clean success stories on an otherwise injury-marred line. With the surgery confirmed, the Chargers now confront the reality of finishing the season without both of the tackles who were supposed to anchor protection for Justin Herbert.

How Losing Both Starting Tackles Changes the Offense

The simultaneous absence of Slater and Alt forces schematic and personnel shifts that will have immediate, measurable effects on every facet of the Chargers’ offense. Protection packages that relied on communication between veteran starters must now be rebuilt around backups who lack live reps together and who will be targeted schematically by opposing coordinators. Pressure rates will rise not just because of raw pass-rush talent across from the line but because continuity and timing, two underrated pillars of pass protection, are gone. This will compress the playbook, pushing the Chargers toward quicker drops, more max-protection concepts, and shorter route designs to mitigate threat windows. Those adjustments blunt explosive plays and make the offense easier to defend in late-game two-minute and red-zone situations.

Immediate Tactical Adjustments and Personnel Responses

Expect the Chargers to lean heavily on pre-snap motion, quicker passing concepts, and more rotation between linemen to manage wear and mismatch exploitation across the remaining schedule. The coaching staff will likely increase usage of chip blocking from running backs and tight ends and incorporate more slide protections to simplify responsibilities for replacement tackles. Game plans will also tilt toward running between the tackles and using misdirection to keep defensive fronts unbalanced and hesitant to rush vertically. Personnel moves, whether promoting practice-squad tackles, trading for experienced depth, or shifting interior linemen to edge spots, will be evaluated not just on talent but on experience playing under center and in quick-pass systems. All of these changes aim to preserve Herbert’s health and rhythm, but they concede aggressiveness and vertical explosiveness in the short term.

Forecast for Justin Herbert and Offensive Output

Justin Herbert’s strengths, arm talent, quick processing, and mobility will limit the damage, but they cannot fully replace reliable tackle play over a long stretch of opponents. When protection breaks down repeatedly, Herbert’s completion percentage on intermediate-to-deep attempts will decline, and third-down conversion rates will slip as windows close faster under pressure. The coaching staff will prioritize pocket plays that allow Herbert to release earlier and design rollouts to buy time and change angles against edge rushers. Even with those mitigations, expect an uptick in sacks and pressures that will increase both turnover risk and play-to-play variance. Over the final stretch, Herbert’s ability to carry games will be the primary reason the Chargers stay competitive, but individual heroics cannot sustainably replace structural offensive protection.

Season Projection and Realistic Ceilings

Given the current roster, scheme adjustments, and the remaining slate of opponents, a realistic finish for the Chargers falls squarely in the nine to 10 win range if the defense stabilizes performance and Herbert avoids significant hits. If the defense continues to generate takeaways and control time of possession, the Chargers can close out wins in games and secure a Wild Card berth at 10–7. Conversely, if pass rushers exploit the tackle void and Herbert misses snaps or late-game drives become inefficient, a collapse to 7–10 or 8–9 is an uncomfortable but credible outcome. Key swing games, matchups with division rivals, and teams with top-tier edge rushers will act as bellwethers that determine whether the Chargers limp into the postseason or miss it entirely. The margin between a modest playoff push and a losing finish is narrow and hinges on health, short-term roster upgrades, and the defense’s capacity to carry weight.

What the Front Office and Coaching Staff Must Do Now

Short-term, the Chargers must pursue experienced tackle depth who can step into spot starts with minimal schematic rework, while also accelerating cross-training for internal options to handle left and right side responsibilities. Midterm moves should include creative game-planning that reduces negative plays and targets opponent weaknesses rather than forcing standard downfield tempo that the roster can no longer sustainably support. Communication and tempo in practice must prioritize line-call clarity and situational aspects that can improve rapidly and pay dividends faster than many external acquisitions. Finally, roster and play-calling decisions should prioritize protecting Herbert’s availability above all else, because preserving their franchise quarterback is the only path to salvaging offensive production this year. If the Chargers execute those steps crisply, they still have a pathway to the postseason; if they do not, this injury chapter will define a season that began with much higher expectations.