Rashawn Slater is one of the best left tackles in the entire NFL and has been a massive part of the LA Chargers' success in 2024. While the interior offensive line has struggled this season, Slater (along with rookie Joe Alt) has provided elite protection for Justin Herbert at the tackle position.
Non-Chargers fans may have forgotten just how dominant Slater is. The former first-round pick missed most of his sophomore season after being a Pro Bowler and Second-Team All-Pro in his rookie year. Slater then played all 17 games his third season, but did not earn any accolades.
Slater has bounced back with an elite 2024 season and has earned his first of (likely several) accolades for his efforts. The star left tackle was officially named to the Pro Bowl alongside teammates Derwin James and Khalil Mack... but there was just one problem.
The league that employs Slater could not even spell his name right on the press release.
One of the best tackles in the league and the NFL can’t spell his name right in their press release. pic.twitter.com/tnIfhN7qWh
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) January 2, 2025
NFL spells Chargers' Rashawn Slater's name wrong in Pro Bowl release
You would think that being one of the best tackles in the entire league would get you the recognition to at least get your name spelled right in an official release from the NFL. I guess that isn't the case with Slater.
As previously mentioned, non-Chargers fans likely forgot about how dominant Slater is and this is a testament to that theory. If the NFL can't even spell Slater's name right, then there are likely a lot of casual fans who do not even realize how great he is.
Fortunately, the NFL didn't drop the ball with Mack or James. Both of their respective names were spelled right, as was every other name on the release except for Slater.
At the end of the day, this is simply an avoidable gaffe that is funny more than anything else. I doubt Slater cares about his first name being mispelled by the NFL, and quite frankly, he may not even realize that this happened.
But it is ironic that the Pro Bowl as an institution is getting less and less important in the NFL ecosystem. The NFL isn't doing the Pro Bowl any favors by spelling star's names wrong. That is not the solution to make NFL fans take the Pro Bowl seriously.