Bolts From The Blue
Less than a month after signing a four-year, $113 million contract to make him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history, Rashawn Slater has been lost for the entire 2025 season after rupturing the patella tendon in his left knee.
Slater went down during a drill where he was pass protecting against third-year edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu. He was attended to for several minutes before being carted off the field with a towel over his head.
Now, the Chargers will have to pick themselves up and move forward towards the regular season without their star left tackle.
In hindsight, drafting Joe Alt at No. 5 overall in the 2024 draft is now the smartest thing the Chargers could have done. After starting 33 games at left ackle for Notre Dame during his collegiate career, the expectation is that Alt will shift over to the blindside while Trey Pipkins fills in at right tackle.
Prior to the injury, Pipkins was one of the more expensive swing tackles in the league. Now he is being thrust back into starting duty one year after starting at right guard in year one under Jim Harbaugh.
With roughly a month before the start of the regular season, the Chargers will have to pick themselves up and commit themselves fully to a new vision of the offensive line. In the meantime, we’re wishing nothing but the best for Slater’s long road back to the field.
