The Los Angeles Chargers just announced that their star offensive tackle Rashawn Slater will miss the entire 2025 season with a ruptured patella tendon. That includes their Week 10 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team announced this news on X, but it was expected all afternoon after he was carted off the field with a serious injury earlier in the day.
Rashawn Slater sustained a torn patellar tendon in today’s practice and will undergo surgery to repair the injury.
He will miss the 2025 season and be placed on Injured Reserve.
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 7, 2025
The news was expected based on the reaction of his teammates. According to Daniel Popper on X, they were all coming up to hug him in an emotional moment on the field.
This comes just a couple weeks after he became the highest-paid OL in NFL history on July 27. He was given a four-year, $114 million extension as their left tackle. This is a huge blow for the Chargers, who have been inching closer to contender status in the AFC after hiring Jim Harbaugh as their head coach prior to the 2024 season.
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith named Slater as the toughest tackle he’s ever faced. He only played against Slater last season for a few snaps before he exited the game with an injury, but Nick Herbig managed to get two sacks and a forced fumble in that game filling in. However, Slater was also injured in that game and missed the next week of play.
Last year’s game against the Chargers was the home opener for the Steelers in Week 3. This year is still a special occasion as the two will face off in front of a national audience on Sunday Night Football in Los Angeles.
The Steelers are expected to have one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, and T.J. Watt is now moving around the formation more. The Chargers offensive line should have their work cut out for them with Trey Pipkins III or Ryan Nelson slated to be the primary backup.
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