Left tackle Rashawn Slater made headlines over the last two weeks by not attending Chargers OTAs for the first time in his career. Questions swirled about whether he would ultimately participate in the team's mandatory minicamp while his contract negotiations were ongoing. Per the collective bargaining agreement, Slater opened himself up to fines if he did not attend LA's mandatory minicamp this week from June 10th to the 12th.
Fears that Slater would not attend minicamp were partially put to rest yesterday when he attended the team's media day photoshoot. Still, "hold in" situations aren't an uncommon occurrence in the NFL when a player reports to the team but doesn't practice.
However, that would not be the case for Slater. Slater participated in both the team drills and positional drills at Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice. For the first time this offseason, the Chargers had all five of their starting offensive linemen in place. From left to right for the time being: LT Rashawn Slater, LG Bradley Bozeman, C Zion Johnson, RG Mekhi Becton, RT Joe Alt.
OL: LT Rashawn Slater, LG Bradley Bozeman, C Zion Johnson, RG Mekhi Becton, RT Joe Alt pic.twitter.com/vN1vnK78q4
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) June 10, 2025
The Chargers can take a sigh of relief (for now) with Rashawn Slater attending minicamp
Unlike situations around the league like Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati or T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh, it's notable that Slater is in the building. It certainly lends more momentum to the idea that the Chargers can get a deal done with their Pro Bowl left tackle before the season starts.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh said that Slater was in the building on Monday to complete his conditioning tests. He added that Slater thought the conditioning test was "too easy". Before Slater officially practiced, Harbaugh confirmed he would participate during his media availability on Monday.
Harbaugh also had Slater's back in his attempts to get a contract extension done with Joe Hortiz and the front office:
"Everybody here, I speak on behalf of I would think everybody in the organization," Harbaugh started. "Totally support Rashawn and we know what he's trying to accomplish for himself and his family. We're all in support."
For now, there is no contract standoff to speak of. Slater fully participating in practice should put those original fears to bed. If a deal isn't completed before August or September, it may be time to worry again. However, it appears that things are heading in the right direction for Slater and the Chargers.