It's no secret that the Los Angeles Chargers' offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL this season, and those issues were on full display in the Bolts' embarrassing 16-3 defeat to the New England Patriots this past Sunday night in the Wild Card Round.
The problem started, of course, before the regular season ever began, as two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater, who signed a four-year, $114 million extension on July 27, suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee just 11 days later while attempting to block Tuli Tuipulotu in practice, thus ending his season.
Slater made himself available to the media on Monday, and while the 26-year-old naturally expressed some frustration about not being able to be out there with his teammates this season, he did offer up an encouraging update about his status for the 2026 campaign.
"I feel good," Slater said. "The rehab's been going very well. Just doing everything I can to make sure that I'm 100 percent next year. Obviously a huge disappointment not being able to contribute this year. Just controlling what I can control and getting ready for next year.
"It's been smooth," Slater replied when asked about his overall timeline. "I think all reports have been that it's going extremely well, I'd say ahead of schedule pretty much the whole time. But just chipping away at it. It's a long rehab, but everything's going as smooth as it can."
Slater, of course, wasn't the only Los Angeles star to go down, as fellow tackle Joe Alt, who was having a phenomenal season, suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 5, an ailment that ultimately led to season-ending surgery midway through the campaign.
As such, Jim Harbaugh was forced to throw out a plethora of different combinations on the O-line throughout the season, none of which worked out well, as Justin Herbert was the most pressured quarterback in the NFL during the regular season, taking 183. And as a whole, the Chargers were tied for the second-most sacks taken with 60, trailing only the Las Vegas Raiders (64), with Herbert taking an additional six in Sunday's loss to New England.
So, getting Slater and Alt back into the mix will obviously be a big benefit for the Bolts for the '26 season. But even beyond their two stars returning, the Chargers' offensive line could look a lot different than the one Harbaugh threw out there against the Pats, as Zion Johnson, Trey Pipkins III, Bobby Hart, Jamaree Salyer, and Trevor Penning are all set to become unrestricted free agents, and Austin Deculus is a restricted free agent.
But it's safe to say that as long as Slater's rehab continues to go well and he and Alt are back on the ends that most Chargers fans wouldn't mind some change on the interior.