The Los Angeles Chargers have now made the playoffs for the second straight year under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Soon, it will be time for them to set their eyes upon genuine Super Bowl contention.
With an MVP-caliber quarterback in Justin Herbert, a perennially threatening defense, and a burgeoning core of pass catchers, this team should soon be able to enter that conversation. Yet over this past season, one thing has become abundantly clear.
The Chargers desperately need viable tackle play in order to keep their offense afloat.
In theory, they have found their two star tackles and Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. However, both have had notable health issues in their young careers. Slater, specifically, has already suffered two season-ending injuries in just a five-year span.
There are a number of other issues to be addressed this offseason, most notably the interior offensive line. Yet Los Angeles must be able to rely on healthy, star-level play from Slater moving forward if they hope to compete for a Super Bowl, especially considering the level his contract kicks to after this season.
Rashawn Slater's health is not currently a major concern, but it could soon become one
The Chargers' struggles with injury on their offensive line have been well-chronicled this season and do not need to be completely rehashed here. It is simply enough to say that their ceiling has been severely limited by their lack of access to capable pass protection.
The most impactful of these injuries was the torn patellar tendon that Slater suffered during training camp, keeping him out for the duration of the 2025 campaign. In his five seasons as a Charger, Slater has already earned two Pro Bowl nods.
At the same time, he has also suffered two season-ending injuries in that span. His 2022 campaign was limited to just three games by a torn tendon in his bicep.
These are freak injuries, and by no means is Slater injury prone in the traditional sense of the phrase.
Yet with the evident risk of injury to Joe Alt as well, it has become clear this season that Los Angeles desperately needs their star tackles available to realize the vision for this offense.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman's plans to implement a pass-heavy, quarterback-dependent offense in 2025 were thwarted by these injuries. The team has assembled a potent arsenal of weapons around Herbert, and he needs protection to take full advantage of them.
Slater will be absolutely crucial in this endeavor, and his four-year, $114 million contract reflects that. If he cannot remain fully healthy over the coming seasons, the Chargers could be in major trouble.