Rashawn Slater’s latest training camp update has given the Chargers reason to breathe a little easier, even if the team still isn’t turning him loose.
After last week’s scare in San Diego, when Slater left practice looking like he might have hit another snag in his recovery from last year’s torn patellar tendon, the Chargers have kept a cautious hand on his workload. He did not return to action for the rest of that day, and his reps since then have come in a stop-and-start pattern.
The first flash of concern came on August 4, when Slater had to head to the medical tent with a trainer after working in 11-on-11 drills. He stayed out of the session after that, though footage from after practice appeared to show him going through normal work once the field time was over.
That was enough to spark worry, but head coach Jim Harbaugh has kept the messaging steady. On Saturday and Sunday, the Chargers gave Slater rest days, and Harbaugh described the situation as part of the plan.
"Just a ramp up," Harbaugh said, according to Eric Smith of Chargers.com. "He's right on schedule, going by the book and what the doctors and trainers have laid out…Cleared ... continuing to go up."
Harbaugh did not say what sent Slater to the medical tent, but he made clear the team still views the tackle’s progress as on track heading toward the regular season.
With Slater sidelined on Saturday, Trey Pipkins handled most of the left tackle work. That’s his normal swing-backup spot, though he had also been involved heavily in the competition for the starting left guard job.
At this point, the Slater situation may have quietly narrowed that battle. Pipkins was in the mix at guard, but the uncertainty around Slater makes it hard to see that path opening up for him now.
That left guard spot now looks more likely to go to rookie Jake Slaughter, as expected, or to Branson Taylor, who has turned into a camp surprise.
For Slater, the bigger picture remains simple: the Chargers are going to keep managing him carefully, and it would not be a surprise if he skips preseason work altogether. After what last season looked like once Slater and fellow starting tackle Joe Alt were lost for the year, the Chargers have every reason to be conservative. In 2026, even the hyped arrival of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel wouldn’t likely be able to withstand those levels of losses, so Slater going super slow the rest of the way wouldn’t be a shock.
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