After the Chargers suffered an abysmal loss at the hands of the Patriots in the wild card round, it felt as if the sky was falling in around the Chargers. However, they just received a positive injury update that could brighten fans’ days.
According to ESPN’s Khris Rhim, star offensive lineman Rashawn Slater could be back sooner than expected.
Talking to Rhim, Slater expected to be back as soon as training camp started. He further told Rhim, “It sucked. I love ball. This is like what I do every single day. I don’t really go on vacation much. I kind of just work out all the time and think about playing football. So it wasn’t fun. It wasn’t easy, but I’m just excited for the future.”
Slater’s Return Brings Stability Back to the Trenches
For Chargers fans, this should excite them after a season that saw several different O-line combinations after the season-ending injury to Slater. They tried everything from in house solutions such as Trey Pipkins and Bobby hart, to acquiring Trevor Penning during the trade deadline. Nothing seemed to work, and it was a huge reason as to why they are sitting at home right now.
Still, seeing that Slater is ahead of schedule gives the Chargers options as to how they will attack the offseason, especially looking at the offensive line. With fellow bookend tackle Joe Alt’s injury timeline still up in the air, and several intriguing players up for new contracts, it will be important for GM Joe Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh to diagnose the right moves.
After all, the best part about Slater is that he is still only 26 years old and has years of above average play ahead of him. Furthermore, he just signed a four year extension, so he is the least of their worries.
Slater’s injury coming in training camp, while not ideal, may have also allowed the Chargers to weed out the weak links along the line as well. For example, guys like Jamaree Salyer, who have had to play a lot due to injury problems, really did step up. However, those like Penning and Becton did not, leading to several benchings as well, and eventually, Penning being cut from the team.
Offensive Line Questions Still Loom Large
Most importantly, it diagnosed the interior of the line as the main issue. Becton certainly did not look like the All-Pro level player that the Chargers thought they were getting from the Eagles. And Bradley Bozeman is certainly not the best option at the center position. The most interesting player is Zion Johnson, as he is in a contract year and while exceeded expectations this year, has been a below average NFL player.
While there will be countless questions, it’s good to have at least one answered that really could be a huge deal. With Slater back for training camp, the Chargers will feel they have a bit more stability headed into next season, even if the offensive line questions are still lingering by then.
Chargers Receive Positive Injury Update from Star O-lineman