Chargers Injury Updates, Starting Left Guard Announcement, and 49ers Practice Preparation

The Chargers utilized a walk-through day before squaring off against the 49ers. See injury and left guard battle news heading into the second preseason game.

August 23, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers guard Branson Taylor (71) blocks San Francisco 49ers defensive end William Bradley-King (69) during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Chargers started off their fourth and final week of training camp with a walk-through with multiple veterans getting the day off after back-to-back padded practices over the weekend. The Chargers will host the San Francisco 49ers for a joint practice Tuesday morning and play their second preseason game on Thursday night.

The Chargers starters are expected to get a series against the 49ers on Thursday night unless head coach Jim Harbaugh changes his initial plan for the unit. The walk-through did not provide any groundbreaking news but there are injury updates as well as left guard battle updates to discuss.

Injury updates

Rashawn Slater

Left tackle Rashawn missed practice again on Monday. It has been seven practices in a row following the setback he suffered on his surgically repaired knee. The coaching staff and Slater have yet to give an update or expected timeline to return.

Both Slater and the coaching staff have described his setback as simply part of the recovery process. The Chargers have been using multiple options to fill in at left tackle including veteran Trey Pipkins, Branson Taylor, Logan Taylor and Travis Burke. It is unclear if the Chargers will ask Joe Alt to flip back to the left side if Slater is facing a long-term absence.

Tarheeb Still

Cornerback Tarheeb Still partially returned to practice in individual drills after being absent the past six practices. His return in some capacity is a positive devleopment with the start of the season still several weeks away.

Left guard battle announcement imminent

Head coach Jim Harbaugh put a timeline on the ideal time to name a starter at left guard that would conclude this week. Based on how the lineups have shaken out over the past few days and comments from Mike McDaniel, the announcement of who the initial starting left guard will be in all likelihood will be made after joint practice and before the game on Thursday.

"We've got a joint practice tomorrow that's super important with some matchups that will be problematic," McDaniel said of joint practice with the 49ers at his press conference Monday. "We're getting to go against a different style front which the starter at left guard will have to block...this will be an important evaluation process."

The Chargers continue to rotate Kayode Awosika, Branson Taylor and Jake Slaughter at left guard. These are the three players who have clearly narrowed the competition down from five. Awosika has been getting the first run with the first team in back-to-back practices and has been the most consistent of the three.

McDaniel did praise rookie Jake Slaughter and the job he has done balancing both center and guard as a rookie. McDaniel did set the table for Slaughter to lose out on the starting left guard job to start the season but potentially enter the starting lineup down the road.