Chargers OT Rashawn Slater Suffers Devastating Injury News

The former Northwestern offensive lineman was carted off the practice field on Thursday.

Oct 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater (70) lines up against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

When Los Angeles Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater went down with a left leg injury during Thursday's training camp practice, he reportedly threw his helmet in frustration. Slater knew immediately that his injury was bad, and just hours after being carted off the field, one of the top offensive linemen in the league is now expected to miss the entire 2025 NFL season.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed that the former Northwestern offensive lineman suffered a ruptured patellar tendon and will undergo surgery to repair the ligament. The Chargers are set to place Slater on injured reserve, which will end the star tackle's season before it starts.

On July 27, Slater signed a four-year, $114 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. The 2021 first-round pick was entering the final season of his rookie deal, but will receive $92 million in guaranteed money as he rehabs from the serious injury. Slater's extension kicks in next offseason and keeps the 6-foot-4, 315-pound blindside protector in Los Angeles through 2029.

Slater has been one of the best and most reliable offensive tackles since entering the league. The Chargers' top lineman has played in at least 15 games in three of his four seasons, though he tore his biceps tendon and played just three games in 2022.

Los Angeles' offensive line now projects to be in disarray with Slater out for the year. Even while starting a talented rookie in right tackle Joe Alt opposite Slater on the left side, the Chargers gave up 44 sacks in 2024, despite ranking in the bottom 10 in pass attempts. Head coach Jim Harbaugh will have to act quickly to fill the Slater-sized gap just four weeks away from the regular season.

At Northwestern, Slater was an All-Big Ten honoree in 2018 and an honorable mention in 2019 before being named a preseason All-American in 2020. Slater opted out of his senior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ending a career in Evanston in which the tackle made 38 of 39 possible starts.

The Chargers selected Slater with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, making him the highest-picked Northwestern player since Chris Hinton in 1984. The Sugar Land, Texas, native has been a star ever since, earning a Pro Bowl nod twice and landing on the All-Pro Second Team as a rookie.