Chargers LT Rashawn Slater sits out 4th straight day

EL SEGUNDO — Left tackle Rashawn Slater sat out of practice for the fourth consecutive day, and he couldn’t say with any degree of certainty on Tuesday when he might return to practice with his Chargers teammates. He also wouldn’t say precisely what has sidelined him since last Thursday.

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It’s been more than a year since Slater tore his patellar tendon during a seemingly routine training camp drill. He underwent surgery and was sidelined for all of the 2025 season, throwing the makeup of the Chargers’ offensive line into a chaotic shuffling and reshuffling of personnel.

When camp began July 29, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said Slater was medically cleared to participate fully, and Slater did so until he walked off the field midway through their first practice in pads on Aug. 4 at the University of San Diego. Slater was back on the field during a light practice the next day.

But he was a limited participant during Thursday’s practice, when the Chargers returned to their El Segundo headquarters.

Setbacks were expected in Slater’s rehabilitation and recovery from a significant injury, something he referred to when speaking with reporters after sitting out Tuesday’s practice. He explained that neither he nor the Chargers’ medical staff was expecting a perfectly smooth process.

“Nothing to be concerned about,” said Slater, a first-round draft pick in 2021 who was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie and again after the 2024 season. “Just being smart, being thoughtful. … Coming back from a major injury, I think the smartest thing is being cautious, to be smart.”

Slater wasn’t expected to play Thursday against the Texans in Houston, the first of the Chargers’ three preseason games. That was never the Chargers’ goal. What he and the team want is for him to be sound for their regular-season opener on Sept. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz gave the offensive line a thorough makeover during the offseason, hoping to avoid a repeat of last season, when Slater and right tackle Joe Alt sustained season-ending injuries and quarterback Justin Herbert was sacked 54 times, the most in his career.

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The plan was to bookend Slater and Alt with a new left guard (former Detroit Lion Kayode Awosika), a new center (former Washington Commander Tyler Biadasz) and a new right guard (former Miami Dolphin Cole Strange) in an attempt to better protect Herbert in his seventh NFL season.

Awosika hasn’t nailed down the starting role, though, as competition at left guard has been intense and ongoing. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said Monday five contenders are still in contention. Awosika has been challenged by Trevor Penning, Trey Pipkins III, Jake Slaughter and Branson Taylor.

Slater’s return to health, and his Pro Bowl form, is one of the key storylines of training camp. He said he felt “great” before his setback in San Diego. He said his knee felt stronger than it had in several seasons and that he didn’t feel any pain getting into his stance for the first time since 2022.

“There is pressure sometimes,” Slater said. “I just want to be out there for the team. I hate missing out. Honestly, I think one of the really good things about our staff is that they’re just so thoughtful. In some ways, maybe they need to protect the players from themselves a little bit.”

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Outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu stuck to the Chargers’ party line during his first session with reporters since the start of camp, saying only that his limited participation last month was due to “ramping up.” He wouldn’t say whether it was due to injury or his contract situation.

Tuipulotu is in the final season of his four-year rookie contract and there has been an expectation that he and the Chargers would agree to a lucrative, multi-year extension. But he didn’t wish to address the matter when pressed by reporters after Tuesday’s practice.

“I’ll let the business handle business,” he said. “I’m a football player. It’s all I do. It’s all I know.”

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