Total Pro Sports
There’s some genuine concern over the fitness of Los Angeles Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater after he was carted out of practice with an apparent left leg injury on Thursday.
Slater was participating in an 11 vs. 11 drill during Thursday’s training session when he went down in pain. He is said to have been visibly distraught while being taken off the field, with his teammates gathering to hug him and offer words of support.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport described the injury as “a potentially serious issue.”
The 25-year-old is heading into his fifth year in the NFL and recently signed a four-year extension worth $114 million with the Chargers. The deal made him the top-earning offensive lineman in league history, so the team was clearly expecting him to offer max production this season.
There are already fears over a potential season-ending ACL tear. While there’s been no official diagnosis, the Chargers are thought to be bracing themselves for the worst.
Rawhawn Slater has been an anchor in the Chargers’ offensive unit since he came in as the 13th overall pick in 2021. He earned his first Pro Bowl call-up as a rookie and was again named last season, allowing just three sacks on 510 blocking snaps.
The setback comes at a bad time for L.A., which is counting on the player to dictate on the offensive line and protect quarterback Justin Herbert.
Should he remain out for a significant period, it would come as a massive blow to the team, and they would likely need to look to the free agent market.
Fans are understandably sweating over the injury. The Chargers will announce the results of their scans soon.
