The Chargers had been blindsided within the truest sense.
Eleven days after signing a contract extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman in historical past, Chargers left deal with Rashawn Slater went down in coaching camp with a knee damage that ended his 2025 season.
It was the newest crushing blow to a franchise with a withering monitor file of shedding key gamers on the most inopportune occasions.
“It’s like a gut punch to the solar plexus,” coach Jim Harbaugh stated within the aftermath of the July 27 damage. “Takes the wind out of you.”
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Sam Farmer talks concerning the impression Rashawn Slater’s season-ending damage may have on the Chargers.
That is the place teaching and creativity kick in. It’s musical chairs alongside the offensive line because the Chargers scramble to guard the blind facet of franchise quarterback Justin Herbert with out handcuffing their offense by committing too many sources to doing so.
The problem is profound however not distinctive. Groups have navigated these uneven waters earlier than.
“The basis of your pass [protection] basically is, you pay a ton of money to somebody that’s just going to lock down that end, the blind side,” retired NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck stated. “The blind side. They made a whole movie about it. That’s where you spend your money.”
When quarterback Wealthy Gannon was getting ready for an opponent, the primary offensive assembly of the week was about protections. How are we going to dam these guys?
“We’d start by drawing five guys on the board, our offensive line,” Gannon stated. “You’re just like, ‘OK, we’re going to build an offensive line.’ And we’d start with the left tackle, right? We’d just draw a big dollar sign. That’s the guy you have to pay. That’s the guy you have to have.”
Within the case of the Chargers, erase that greenback signal from the board.
“When you lose a guy like that, there’s a trickle-down effect,” Gannon stated. “You have to find someone to replace him. Now, what does that mean for our protection plan?
“Very few teams have a guy that can step in without a drop-off. And you’re talking about a Pro Bowl-caliber player at left tackle, there’s usually a significant difference when the backup goes in.”
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, left, and offensive deal with Rashawn Slater stroll off the sphere after a win over the New Orleans Saints in October.
(Ronald Martinez / Getty Photos)
Even on this abysmal scenario, there are sparkles of positivity for the Chargers. First, they’re shifting Joe Alt from proper deal with to left, the place he spent his illustrious school profession at Notre Dame. The Chargers used the fifth total choose in 2024 on the 6-foot-8, 322-pound Alt, who Harbaugh says has Corridor of Fame potential. Having Alt within the combine is a big bonus for the membership.
Nonetheless, switching from proper to left deal with is not any small feat.
“People think it’s just easy to play on the offensive line, and if you’re a right tackle you should be able to play on the left, but it’s not the same,” Corridor of Fame defensive finish Dwight Freeney stated. “Everything is different. You have muscle memory and different repetitions that you’ve done constantly. Doing something the same way all the time. One way.
“It’s not easy to pick up, switch your feet and go to the other side. The guard positions and center are more interchangeable, but when you start messing with your tackles, especially your left tackle, that’s a problem.”
The Chargers can be examined straight away. Their first three video games are towards division opponents, and their third is towards Denver, which led the NFL final season with a median of three.6 sacks per recreation.
“You’re going to have to start the season making sure you’ve got a back over there on the left side, or a tight end in passing situations just to make sure the quarterback doesn’t get whacked,” stated Mike Tice, the onetime Minnesota Vikings head coach whose specialty is teaching offensive strains. “You’ve got to have a plan going into the season. If you don’t have a plan going in, you’re truly [doomed].”
Gannon stated the Chargers are particularly lucky to have Greg Roman as their offensive coordinator, as a result of Roman confirmed distinctive creativity in Baltimore beefing up their entrance with further linemen and fullback Patrick Ricard, nicknamed “Pancake Pat” for his potential to flatten folks in his path.
“They dressed it up with the Ravens,” stated Gannon, an analyst for Sirius/XM NFL Radio. “Seven offensive linemen on the field. You’d get the defense to go big, then throw it.”
Gannon sees the versatile Scott Matlock taking part in the Ricard position for the Chargers. Matlock, listed on the roster as a fullback, is 6-4 and 296.
“His role is going to expand,” the retired quarterback predicted. “That’s how you do it. That’s how you build in protection when you’re down a left tackle.”
And although Harbaugh described the setback as a intestine punch, Hasselbeck famous there’s a thread of a silver lining.
“From the front-office part of it, this is actually not the worst timing,” he stated. “Not that there are great left tackles on the street, but at least you can do something now in training camp.
“It’s not as dire as losing your star guy on Friday before Week 1, or losing him during Week 1. Also, when guys get hurt early in the year and you lose them for the season, they’re more ready to go earlier in the offseason the next year.”
Large blocker. Small comfort.
