Injury Updates, Offensive Line Sparks Concerns, Chargers Try to Recover at Practice

The Los Angeles Chargers got back to work on Saturday trying to dust off the poor showing Thursday night. See how key groups got back to work and concerns.

Jul 30, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Jaret Patterson participates in positional drills during training camp at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Chargers returned to practice on Saturday while still licking their wound from an embarrassing night of football on Thursday night against the 49ers. The team seemed to have taken the loss of Tyler Biadasz due to a major knee injury as a punch to the gut that they have yet to recover from.

Practices are no longer open to the public and therefore news and highlights will be limited but there is still plenty to go over from Saturday's return to the Bolt. Let's dive into news and questions about the Chargers from Saturday's practice.

Injury updates

The Chargers had several starters return to practice in some capacity on Saturday. Left tackle Rashawn Slater, wide receivers Tre' Harris and Quentin Johnston, cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Donte Jackson all were on the field on Saturday

The following players were sidelined due to injuries:

Tight End Scott Matlock (who was wearing a walking boot on the sidelines during the loss to the 49ers)
Edge rusher Bud Dupree
Edge rusher Kyle Kennard
Offensive lineman Branson Taylor
Wide receiver Brenen Thompson
Cornerback Eric Rogers

The status of center Tyler Biadasz still has yet to be labeled or updated in regards to whether he will be put on injured reserve and miss the entire 2026 season or if there is a chance at a last season comeback.

Defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell left practice early and was working with trainers off to the side.

Rashawn Slater's return to practice included individual drills and one session of 11-on-11 team period. Head coach Jim Harbaugh made it clear at his pre-practice press conference that Slater would be ramping back up to full practice. Slater exited practice following the first team period and watched from the sideline.

Offensive line concerns

Jim Harbaugh said it himself, "The film did not lie. I mean, we got beat and beat ourselves as a team in all three phases." The most concerning part of the Chargers offense from joint practice, through the game and even Saturday's practice, is rooted in the offensive line. The interior of the offensive line, when the starters were in, got routinely beat whether is pass protection or run blocking.

The offensive line woes could be directly tied to the lack of continuity between Jake Slaughter and the guards next to him after he was thrust into the starting role. Slaughter's move to center, his natural position, removes him from the left guard competition. Branson Taylor was sidelined today and instead of Kayode Awosika getting valuable reps next to Slaughter, Trey Pipkins was the first left guard in team period with Rashawn Slater's return.

Roster cutdown day is a week away and the Chargers are still not settled on their starting offensive line. They have three weeks to gel and work together but Harbaugh has indicated they are not close to naming a starter. For a team that gave up historic levels of pressure up the middle in 2025, fans' frustration with the process and the current results is understandable.

It remains to be seen if the front office smashes the panic button and makes a trade for a depth piece with starting potential. ESPN's Kris Rhim covers the Chargers and his practice notes may have been clearly indicative over the levels of concern facing the Chargers. His first note of the day said "It was one of the worst days for the offense. Interior offensive line struggled, and the passing offense wasn't great."