Los Angeles Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater has suffered a torn patellar tendon after being carted off the field in training camp on Thursda, the team announced. He will undergo season-ending surgery, and will be placed on injured reserve for the rest of the year.
The injury comes just a week and a half after the Chargers made Slater the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history, signing the fifth-year tackle to a four-year, $114 million extension. The contract includes $92 million in guaranteed money.
Slater went down in practice Thursday morning after a player appeared to fall on his left leg during an 11-on-11 drill. The tackle was tended to by trainers for two minutes before the cart came out, with teammates gathering around the cart as Slater was loaded onto it, via The Athletic's Daniel Popper.
Slate could not put any weight on his left leg after the injury. As he was carted off, he threw his helmet and slammed his hand into the cart, seemingly in frustration, before burying his face in his hands.
It's a brutal loss for the Chargers, especially before the start of the season. Slater has been the primary blindside protector for Justin Herbert since the team drafted him at No. 13 overall in 2021. The 26-year-old LT has been named to two Pro Bowls: He earned the nod his rookie season and was invited back last season after another stellar year.
With Slater out for the season, the Chargers will have to turn to its depth chart to replace him. Trey Pipkins III (LT/RT) and Ryan Nelson (LT) are listed as the two potential backups to Slater in the O-Line.
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