Chargers LT Rashawn Slater Suffers High Ankle Sprain

After Slater left Seattle on crutches, per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim, the prospect of another IR move involving the sixth-year blocker looms. Slater missed all of last season because of a patellar tendon tear, and he was sidelined for most of the 2022 campaign because of a biceps tendon tear. As this Chargers season quickly spirals, the team will need to get by without its left tackle for a while.

High ankle sprains regularly cause absences of at least a few games, though as Joe Alt’s situation last year reminds, the injuries can be season-altering. The 0-4 Chargers already finished their Week 4 matchup with the Seahawks without Alt as well. A neck injury sidelined Alt in Seattle.

The Bolts are certainly growing accustomed to using two backup tackles during the Slater-Alt era. The 2024 No. 5 overall pick missed 11 games last season; a high ankle sprain ended up requiring surgery and shutting him down in November.

Alt initially went down in Week 4 of last season, but the Notre Dame product aggravated the injury upon return. Surgery became necessary, leaving the Chargers without their starting tackles for most of the season. Los Angeles still found a way to secure a playoff berth, but Justin Herbert’s protection frequently broke down. This led to a one-sided playoff loss in New England. This season appears highly unlikely to produce a third straight playoff appearance.

The Chargers gave Slater a then-tackle-record four-year, $118MM extension in July 2025. Days later, the former first-round pick went down with the season-ending knee injury. Slater, 27, did well to secure the monster payday when he did. The Chargers have seen his career drift off track since. Slater’s contract includes a fully guaranteed 2027 salary, but the deal does not include any void years and has not been restructured. No guarantees are in place beyond 2027. That will make Slater’s return from his latest injury important in the long term.

When Slater went down last summer, the Chargers moved Alt to left tackle. That figures to be an option again, should Alt be able to return from his neck injury in Week 5. Travis Burke replaced Alt at right tackle Sunday. The Bolts also have Trevor Penning on a one-year, $3.5MM deal. Although Penning did not impress in the team’s guard competition and has been unable to hold down a starting job as a pro, the former first-rounder does have experience starting at both left and right tackle in New Orleans.