Chargers star absent from OTAs for first time in career as contract talks loom

The Los Angeles Chargers haven’t been shy about the emphasis on contract extension talks with elite offensive tackle Rashawn Slater. 

But Slater wasn’t there when Chargers OTAs started this week. 

As The Athletic’s Daniel Popper pointed out, Slater was just one of three players on the 91-man roster not present at practices. The other two were offensive lineman Trey Pipkins and pass-rusher Bud Dupree. 

Slater is by far the most notable, though, given the contract context. He’s entering the final year of his rookie deal, the $19 million tab picked up by the Chargers as his fifth-year option. 

While generally speaking, this isn’t cause for concern, as Popper confirmed, this is the first time Slater has missed the openings of OTAs. 

So far, there’s no word on whether Slater’s absence is even contract-related. But if things do indeed head that direction, it’s worth noting that fines for skipping mandatory activities will start during minicamp on June 10. 

If Slater isn’t there and eats those fines before more fines at training camp later in the summer, it’s time for fans to start panicking. 

As always, though, there’s no reason to think that a team that has hoarded assets as hard as the Chargers this offseason will have any problems getting a Slater extension done.