1 Great and 1 Not-So-Great Chargers Injury Development at Training Camp

The Chargers had some good and bad news on the injury front in practice.

Justin Herbert takes the snap from center Jake Slaughter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Chargers were on the receiving end of a beatdown at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 of the preseason. 

Sent home to lick wounds and regroup, the Chargers reemerged for Day 17 of training camp practice seeking answers across an offensive line that is receiving some major negative reviews right now. 

Assemingling the Chargers final 53-man roster isn’t going to be easy, to say the least. 

Here’s a quick rundown of good and bad injury developments at camp. 

Great Chargers injury news

Rashawn Slater is back. 

Enough said, right? 

There was some major speculation about whether Slater would see a snap of live-action practice at all before the regular season. He suffered some sort of mysterious injury setback near the start of camp. That naturally created some concerns about his health one year removed from his torn patellar tendon suffered during last year’s camp. 

No telling if the Chargers will risk Slater at all in live sessions and especially preseason action, but the fact he’s back is good news. 

Not-great Chargers injury news

Jake Slaughter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The post-Tyler Biadasz injury shakeup is limping along. 

Jake Slaughter, a center drafted to play guard, is now back as the starter center at with Biadasz on the shelf. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is talking it up with reporters, at least. 

"Jake Slaughter is now our starting center, so that's a big change," Harbaugh said, according to Eric Smith of Chargers.com. "The center position, right guard, right tackle, left tackle … those four [are set]."

Harbaugh added this about the outlook for final cuts: "Whether we have nine offensive linemen, 10, 11, on the final roster, they're all in the mix for roles," Harbaugh continued. "Starting roles and backup role."

A rookie making a transition back to another position on the fly just before the season is concerning enough. 

But the left guard spot Slaughter has left is a mess. 

Let Harbaugh tell it, Kayode Awosika is the leader there. But Saturday’s practice started with Trey Pipkins running with the ones. Branson Taylor remains in the mix, too. 

So, the competition for left guard includes: 

• A free-agent journeyman
• A backup swing offensive tackle
• A supposed summer breakout who spent a year or so on the practice squad

Not ideal. 

That’s not to say the Chargers can easily go out and find capable help. There’s going to be some reliance on offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to scheme around any issues up front. 

But with Slater shaky, a rookie at center and two new, questionable starters at guards, there’s plenty of cause for concern about the line in front of Justin Herbert for Week 1.

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