Chargers' top Joe Alt replacement joined team just a few weeks ago

The Los Angeles Chargers really, really couldn’t afford another injury to the offensive line.

Entering the Week 4 game against the New York Giants, Rashawn Slater had already suffered a season-ending injury and free-agent splash Mekhi Becton couldn’t go. During the game itself, Joe Alt needed a cart to leave the field and showed up in a walking boot after halftime.

Alt’s replacement? A guy who joined the team on August 26.

Said guy is Austin Deculus, who came over via trade with the Houston Texans at the cost of a conditional seventh-round pick.

No shade to Deculus, of course, but it speaks to the severity of the emergency issue for the Chargers in front of Justin Herbert now. When Slater went down, Alt slid over to left tackle and Trey Pipkins got promoted to starting right tackle after spending the summer as a possible cut or trade candidate.

Now? The Chargers will need to throw Deculus out there at left tackle like they did in New York while Pipkins stays on the right side, should Alt need to miss time. That, or they’ll make some other small mixup while putting Foster Sarell in an immediate depth spot, after he spent Sunday called up from the practice squad.

It’s easy to hit the Chargers for not having better depth, given the loads of resources they had this offseason, many of which didn’t get used. But it’s also nearly impossible to prep for losing the best tackle duo in the NFL at the same time.

Even so, Deculus has only had about a month to get ready for this moment.

Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt — Amanda Perobelli/Reuters via Imagn Images

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