Chargers' Trey Pipkins decision looks genius after scary Rashawn Slater injury

The Los Angeles Chargers have kept Trey Pipkins around since the 2019 season despite the fact that the former Division II star has never managed to take the leap he needs to become anything more than an average player. Instead, the Chargers have remade the offensive line around him.

Even after Bradley Bozeman and Mekhi Becton joined the team in free agency, along with the selection of Joe Alt high in the 2024 NFL Draft, Pipkins managed to stick around. The Chargers' decision not to part ways with him may be one of the most important moves Jim Harbaugh's team made all offseason long.

Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a serious injury that could lead to him eventually missing a good chunk of time. It seems very unlikely that the Chargers will have Slater in the early parts of the season, which just happens to be one of the tougher parts of the schedule.

Pipkins will likely slide in at right tackle, as it makes all the sense in the world to kick Joe Alt over to left tackle.

Chargers Trey Pipkins decision makes sense after Rashawn Slater injury

Pipkins has received PFF grades of 57.8 and 62.8 over the last two seasons, both of which rank slightly below the league average. As a holdover from a previous failed regime, no one would have looked at Harbaugh or Joe Hortiz sideways if they decided to cut him loose.

Instead, the Chargers can put a serviceable player at right tackle while keeping Mekhi Becton at the right guard spot he made his own with the Eagles last year. LA may not be forced to dip into a very thin market for free agents after this decision, as Pipkins provides that extra bit of stability.

While no one will be able to adequately replace Slater, Alt has shown flashes of being a Pro Bowl-level player. Moving him to the left side (where he played in college) and putting Pipkins at right tackle will help the Chargers' offense maintain a similar level of consistency they found themselves operating at last year.

Pipkins may not have a long-term role carved out for him in Los Angeles, but if he is able to string together a solid season with Slater on the mend, he could earn himself another contract for a prominent role elsewhere. Hortiz won't live the fact that Slater could be lost for the year, but he should pat himself on the back for keeping Pipkins.