As we entered Week 2 of the Los Angeles Chargers' training camp, everyone's eyes were focused on the looming competition for the starting left guard spot. Even though the pads haven't come on yet, each rep holds some level of significance in who will take the field with the starters on Week 1.
Last week, the Chargers made waves by largely keeping Slaughter out of the first-team reps in 11-on-11 drills, instead granting snaps to Kayode Awosika, Trey Pipkins III, and even depth guard Branson Taylor. Slaughter primarily took snaps as both second-team center and second-team left guard.
Of course, this was a slightly worrying development. The Chargers took a gamble on Slaughter in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the intention of him competing for the starting LG job. If he's not able to make that switch quickly, Los Angeles will be left with a dubious combination of Awosika and Penning at the position.
But per Kris Rhim at ESPN, Slaughter split first-team reps with Awosika today at practice, indicating that there might be ample room for him to take the job when the pads come on through the rest of training camp.
The line that started blocking for Justin Herbert to start 11v11
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) August 3, 2026
LT: Rashawn Slater
LG: Kayode Awosika
C: Tyler Biadasz
RG: Cole Strange
RT: Joe Alt
After two plays slaughter rotated in at left, splitting that period evenly
Jake Slaughter may finally be in a position to make a push for the starting LG job
All offseason, the Chargers coaching staff has harped on Slaughter's athleticism and fundamental soundness at the center position— traits that they belive make him a viable candidate to be a starting NFL lineman from the jump.
But there's at least some room to be concerned there. Slaughter put up admirable numbers during his final college season at Florida, but he did not take a single snap at guard during his entire college career. At best, he is an unknown quantity, and that level of uncertainty for a team that's been haunted by sub-par offensive line play is concerning.
Mike McDaniel's zone-blocking scheme, though, demands effort, physicality, and speed more than it does pure fundamental soundness at the position. If Slaughter is able to show even flashes of his abilities at the guard spot, he should easily be the first choice for the job in Week 1.
In part, this is more a reflection of his competition than it is of the rookie. Penning hasn't had a particularly inspiring stretch of play anywhere along the offensive line, and things didn't get better upon his arrival to Los Angeles last season. He allowed 11 pressures and two sacks across 111 pass-blocking snaps with the Chargers last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Awosika, for his part, has limited starting experience, and his numbers aren't all that much more inspiring than Penning's. Across his four seasons in Detroit, he allowed a whopping 38 pressures on just 485 pass-blocking snaps.
The Chargers shouldn't be confident heading into Week 1 with either of those players as a starter. Perhaps the plan, to this point, has been to allow Slaughter to acclimate slowly to the guard position.
The truth will be told when the pads come on over the next couple of weeks. But for now, Slaughter stepping into the first-team alongside Awosika on the final day before pads come on is a sign that the competition might be fully starting to unfold.
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