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Chargers star's brutal injury shows why players should hold out with new contracts on line
Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater was carted off the practice field on Thursday afternoon with what turned out to be a significant injury. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the two-time Pro Bowler suffered a season-ending knee injury. It's a massive blow to the team's offensive line and offense as a whole. It also serves as a harsh reminder as to why players will always — and should always — act on the side of caution when it comes to participating in training camp when they are seeking a new contract. In Slater's case, he's a lucky one because he just agreed to a new four-year, $114 million contract extension with $92 million in guarantees days before the injury happened. That contract was signed after he did not participate in some of the team's early training-camp practice sessions. If Slater had participated early on and had this injury happen before he was able to get his new deal signed, it would have been a devastating blow in his quest to get that pay day. Not only would the Chargers have had no incentive to pay him this season, but there is no guarantee he would have ever received that sort of contract in the future. Fans might not like the idea of a hold-out or hold-in, but you have to look at it from the perspective of the player. They have a very limited time to earn top dollar in the NFL, and there are never any guarantees. The hold-out/hold-in approach is not only a way to put pressure on the team to pay them, but it's also a matter of self-preservation. Football is a violent game. It's a physical game. It's a collision game. Injuries are always going to be a part of that. But injuries happen with much greater frequency early in the season, and especially in training camp, due to the fact that players are still working their way back into game shape and going through more intense and physical practices than they do at any point during the season. It's a dangerous time for them in terms of injuries, and that should not be overlooked when it comes to contract talks. Players have short careers and even less time to set themselves up financially. They should not be willing to take unnecessary risks when it comes to their earning power. The Slater situation shows just how delicate all of it is.
Observations from the Seattle Seahawks Press Box After 23-23 Raiders Tie
HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders came to Seattle tonight to battle the Seahawks and left with an unimpressive 23-23 tie. Our latest Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast offers our thoughts and observations from the first preseason game of the 2025 season for the Silver and Black tonight versus the Seattle Seahawks. You can watch the entire podcast below: Pete Carroll came back to the place he called home for many years today, and while reverent and respectful of the Seahawks and the fans, he didn’t hide his jubilation at being the coach of the Raiders. After the game today, Carroll spoke to the media about the preseason tie. We have a partial transcript of what Carroll said below. HEAD COACH PETE CARROLL Give us your overall impressions. I know you haven't seen the film. PETE CARROLL: I've seen the film. Got that done just now. Have everything in this steel trap right now. Well, we started really poorly. We had a really hard time. The official got us five times that we assessed penalties, other ones they let us go. Miserable looking first quarter. We kind of hung in the game as far as trying to win the game. We didn't run the ball very well in the first half. We didn't do very much of anything very well. But we stayed close. It was the opportunity for us to face that up and then come on back and see what you can do in the second half to finish the game. It was a marvelous second half for our guys as a team. We did so many cool things that we weren't able to do. We ran the ball better. We protected the quarterback better. The quarterbacks made their throws, guys made their catches and gave us a chance to win the football game on the last play of the game. That's kind of all we can hope for. Bud Grant taught me that a long time ago. So winds up being a tie. Too bad. I thought Treven (Ma’ae) had two huge plays in the game. The big sack, but also he blocked a kick. Said he never blocked a kick in his life. Welcome to the NFL. Cam (Miller) and Shed (Shedrick Jackson) with his touchdown catch, gorgeous play. Our ability to keep coming back, keep coming back. The sidelines were electric. The guys understood what we were talking about. It just takes one play at the end if you can get it done. We got a chance to feel that. The most important thing that is we take that forward, that we know we ain't never done, it ain't ever over. We're going to keep hanging until we get a chance to win the game. Q. Any update on Alex Bachman? PETE CARROLL: He is fine. He's had an ankle that's bothered him. He just wrenched it a bit and came back. He played after that. He's okay. Q. (On the run defense)... PETE CARROLL: We made some really glaring errors. We made errors. Couple times when we were pressuring, we just didn't hit stuff clean enough. But as the game went on, we played way better. I thought they did a nice job running the football. I thought that was a really obvious part of their game. In the end we need to do better. Q. Cam Miller gets in there for the first time, a couple scoring drives. Getting thrown into the fire the way he did, your thoughts? PETE CARROLL: We knew he would get the chance in the fourth quarter to do this. He did a terrific job. I'm so proud of him for hanging in there through all the situations. If you remember, it was almost like the mock game. Almost like that game. He kind of did the same thing there, too. Really credit to him, the guys that made the catches. We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp and Pete Carroll’s comments.
Padres Officially Release Veteran After Disappointing Season
The San Diego Padres announced Wednesday that they released veteran catcher Martin Maldonado, who was designated for assigment last week. The writing was on the wall when the Padres acquired Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals at last Thursday's trade deadline, upending their catching tandem. Fermin, 30, immediately got the opportunity to take the lion's share of innings behind the plate that he was never going to get in Kansas City. The Padres designated Maldonado for assignment in a corresponding roster move, ending the 38-year-old's tenure in San Diego. Maldonado hit .204 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 64 games, splitting time with Elias Diaz. The 2019 American League Gold Glove Award winner, Maldonado has played 1,230 games for seven different organizations since his 2011 debut. Maldonado is a career .203/.277/.343 hitter with the Milwaukee Brewers (2011-16), Angels (2017-18), Houston Astros (2018-23), Royals (2019), Chicago Cubs (2019), Chicago White Sox (2024) and Padres (2025). More to come on this story from Padres on SI.
How To Beat Shiny Chien-Pao Tera Raid In Pokemon Scarlet And Violet
Shiny Chien-Pao is here, and if you’re not ready for it, you’re going to have a bad time. At Level 75, this Ice Tera-type legend isn’t messing around. But don’t worry! You don’t have to face this frosty feline unprepared. With the right strategy and team, you’ll be racking up wins faster than you can say “Sword of Ruin.” Here’s everything you need to know to outsmart Shiny Chien-Pao and emerge victorious in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. How To Beat Shiny Chien-Pao Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and With the Best Build Possible What Makes Shiny Chien-Pao a Challenge? Before you charge into battle, you need to understand what you’re up against. Shiny Chien-Pao has an Adamant Nature and wields the Sword of Ruin ability, which reduces the defense of all opposing Pokémon by 25%. Add its blazing speed and high offensive stats, and you’ve got a serious problem on your hands. To make matters worse, this icy menace packs a terrifying move set, including Icicle Crash, Crunch, Sacred Sword, Ice Shard, and the particularly frustrating Haze. Oh, and just to keep you on your toes, it’ll lead off with Ruination, halving one of your Pokémon’s HP right out of the gate. The most annoying part? Haze spamming. Chien-Pao resets your team’s stat boosts multiple times during the fight, so keeping your strategy flexible is key. The Best Counters for Shiny Chien-Pao You’re going to need hardy Pokémon that can withstand Ice-based assaults while dishing out some serious damage in return. Choose Pokémon that can either nullify or exploit Chien-Pao’s weaknesses. Here are two of the best counters to take this icy menace down. 1. Ogerpon (Hearthflame Mask Form) Ogerpon in its Hearthflame Mask form is the ultimate Chien-Pao counter. Here’s how to build it for success: Recommended Build: Level: 100 Item: Hearthflame Mask Nature: Adamant Ability: Mold Breaker (pre-Terastallized), Embody Aspect (post-Terastallized) Tera Type: Fire Moves: Ivy Cudgel, Sunny Day, Swords Dance, Synthesis Why It Works: Ogerpon’s Hearthflame Mask form makes it a Grass/Fire-type, reducing the effectiveness of many of Chien-Pao’s devastating Ice and Fighting moves. Its move Ivy Cudgel becomes a Fire-type attack, delivering 100 base damage with a high crit rate. Pair that with Sunny Day to boost your Fire-type damage and improve Synthesis healing, and you’ve got a near-perfect setup for this raid. Strategy: Turn 1: Use Sunny Day to power up Ivy Cudgel while ensuring better healing from Synthesis later. Spam Ivy Cudgel to build Terastalization power. Once Chien-Pao’s shield goes up, Terastalize and hammer it with Ivy Cudgel. Use Synthesis as needed to recover HP, and Swords Dance post-shield for added offensive power. Even solo, this build gets the job done. But if your raid party runs multiple Ogerpon builds, you’ll obliterate Chien-Pao before the timer runs out. 2. Iron Hands An old favorite among raiders, Iron Hands is here to turn Shiny Chien-Pao into a fine powder. Recommended Build: Level: 100 Item: Booster Energy or Shell Bell Nature: Impish Ability: Quark Drive Tera Type: Fighting Moves: Belly Drum, Drain Punch, Scary Face, Thunder Punch Why It Works: Iron Hands boasts a massive attack stat and the bulk to survive multiple hits from Chien-Pao. Plus, with Drain Punch, it can regain plenty of HP to stay in the fight. Strategy: Open with Scary Face to reduce Chien-Pao’s speed. Use Thunder Punch for a chance to paralyze Chien-Pao. Once you’ve been Hazed, it’s Belly Drum time. Boost your Attack to max (+6) for devastating damage. Terastalize and hit Chien-Pao with Drain Punch to break its shield and maintain your HP. Rinse and repeat for the win. Pro Tip: Shell Bell offers extra healing for a safer run, while Booster Energy gives your initial stats a big bump. Choose based on your play style. Rewards and the Mystery Gift Twist Here’s the thing—even if you beat Shiny Chien-Pao, you can’t catch it right now. Why? Because this raid is part of a global event. For everyone to unlock Shiny Chien-Pao as a Mystery Gift, the community needs to rack up 1,000,000 successful raid completions. But don’t get discouraged. These raids offer excellent rewards, including XP Candies, Tera Shards, and even Herba Mystica for making Shiny Sandwiches. Final Thoughts When it comes to Shiny Chien-Pao, preparation is everything. Bring your best counters, manage your team setup carefully, and don’t panic when the stat resets start flying. With consistent strategy (and maybe some fiery Ogerpon friends), you’ll crush this Tera Raid in style. Remember, every completion gets us closer to unlocking Shiny Chien-Pao as a Mystery Gift. So, grab your Joy-Cons, rally your friends, and start raiding! For more raid tips and Pokémon guides, check out our latest expert content at Total Apex Gaming for more news.
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