LA Chargers' star left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a non-contact injury during Thursday's practice that resulted in him getting carted off the field in a scary scene. As soon as it happened, Chargers fans knew they had to prepare for the worst.
Unfortunately, the worst is what is was.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Slater suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, pending further testing. This ends Slater's 2025 season before it even begins, and creates reasonable worries about his future with the Bolts.
Torn patellar tendon was the worst-case scenario for Rashawn Slater and the Chargers
Fans knew it was serious as soon as the injury happened with many assuming that it would be a torn ACL. Obviously, a torn ACL would have been bad news, but there are so many players every single season that come back from torn ACLs.
A torn patellar tendon is a completely different story.
This is an injury that has historically caused a lot of issues for players even once they are healthy. This is the exact same injury that J.C. Jackson suffered in his first season with the Chargers. Jackson was never the same player after the injury and is no longer even in the NFL.
This is the same injury that turned former wide receiver Victor Cruz from one of the most productive wideouts in the sport to an outcast. The most successful return from the injury belonged to veteran tight end Jimmy Graham, who managed to produce well after the injury.
Slater is obviously much different than any of these players as he is an offensive lineman. Tackles do not need to sprint as often as skill position players, which is a blessing. But he also has the added weight that the other players do not have.
A recent study from the National Library of Medicine showed that 79% of NFL players who suffer a torn patellar tendon do not return to their previous form. According to the study, 86% of players do not return to start more games than they did before the injury.
Slater is still only 26 years old, so time is on his side. However, Jackson was also only 26 years old when he suffered the injury and it still had a massive impact on his play post-recovery.
This was the worst possible outcome for the Chargers as it not only ends Slater's 2025 season, but it puts his future in jeopardy as well. The hope is that Slater can defy the odds and establish a new precedent with torn patellar tendons.
However, based on the numbers, it's impossible to be optimistic about that happening.