Chargers LT Rashawn Slater went to the medical tent during practice on Tuesday and did not return to team drills afterwards. Per Daniel Popper, trainers were working on his left leg. Slater had patellar tendon repair surgery on that leg after his season-ending injury last year. He was seen pointing at the back of his knee.
After practice, Slater seemed to be in good spirits. QB Justin Herbert at his press conference said Slater was trying to go back into practice afterwards. While it seemed like Slater was OK and avoided a bigger injury, we weren't really going to know his status until today's practice.
Chargers LT Rashawn Slater officially participates in team drills on Wednesday after his injury scare.
Slater was spotted at practice in San Diego during warmups. Slater participated in both his own individual warmup on the side before joining in with the team:
Chargers LT Rashawn Slater is warming up with the team. pic.twitter.com/tfE6ooUuwQ
— Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) August 5, 2026
Participating in warmups is one thing. But Slater's participation in team drills is a clear sign that he survived his Tuesday injury scare. Not having to miss even today's practice in the aftermath of the tweak likely means the doctors and trainers were being cautious yesterday.
Per ESPN's Kris Rhim, Slater started next to Branson Taylor at LG on Wednesday as the team kept churning through their guard competition. LG candidates Trey Pipkins and the aforementioned Taylor rotated from guard to tackle yesterday in Slater's brief absence. Taylor got the bulk of the first-team reps in non-padded practice today after Pipkins got them yesterday. Trevor Penning also rotated in.
Ultimately, it's the best possible outcome for the Chargers. Even if Slater did have to sit out a few practices, he would've still have avoided a season-ending injury like last year. But the fact that he's good enough medically to not miss today's practice is a relief. Exhale.
After Tuesday's first practice in pads, Wednseday's practice was more of a walkthrough. Vets like EDGE Khalil Mack, TE David Njoku, and LB Denzel Perryman did not practice. Again, the Chargers could've taken it easy with Slater if they wanted to considering the tone of Wednesday's practice. But the fact that he was out there in both individual and team capacities is very promising.
The Chargers will likely monitor Slater's recovery from his patellar tendon repair throughout camp. But at least so far, they've avoided a much bigger crisis along the offensive line. Slater's participation in Wednesday's practice is a good sign of things to come.
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