Rashawn Slater was carted off during Chargers practice today with an apparent leg injury. It’s now been confirmed that he tore his patella and will miss the 2025 season. So how can the Chargers respond to this injury, and what will the implications be for the Bolts?
Are There Potential Free Agent Tackle Targets?
Could the answer for LA be sitting on the couch right now? There are a few workable free agents, such as Jedrick Wills, Andrus Peat, or George Fant. Could signing one of these guys buttress the tackle room for as long as it takes for Rashawn to recover, or even provide a year-long stopgap if his season is already over?
Could They Work A Trade For A Starting-Level tackle?
We all remember last year when Vikings starting tackle Christian Darrisaw went down, and they replaced him with Cam Robinson almost overnight. Robinson himself is on the Texans now, and there’s no way they’ll be parting with an O-Lineman. But could the Chargers find a hidden gem or steal a veteran from a team that’s on a different timeline? The Chiefs seem to believe that sometimes there’s a starter hidden behind an all-time great, as they grabbed Trent Williams’ backup, Jaylon Moore in the offseason. Could a similar potential be hidden behind Jordan Mailata or Lane Johnson, all-time great tackles? Or could they trade a veteran starter from a team that has no chance of competing anytime soon? Targets are tough to find, as most teams either have a young QB they want to protect at any cost, or young tackles they’ll never part with. But the Chargers can at least make some calls.
Will The Chargers Move Joe Alt Over To Left Tackle?
Joe Alt played left tackle in college, and he was pretty damn good at it. The main reason they shifted him over to the right side was because Rashawn Slater is also incredibly talented. But with Slater down, Alt is clearly their best lineman and will likely end up on Justin Herbert’s blind side. It might be slightly easier to find a replacement right tackle in Trey Pipkins or even shift a guard out, so this is probably the first thing the Chargers will do if Slater’s injury is serious.
Is It As Simple As Next Man Up?
That is always the mantra of the NFL, and for good reason. Injuries happen and every man on an NFL roster is there because they’re extremely talented. Rashawn Slater’s backup is Ryan Nelson, who the Bolts signed out of the UFL. He did make the All-UFL team after a great season with the Michigan Panthers, so how could a Michigan man like Jim Harbaugh resist him? I’m sure they have confidence in him to meet the high standards of the Chargers line, and they may just decide to roll with him until Rashawn is able to recover.
