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The Chargers’ Super Bowl aspirations may have just taken a literal massive hit.

Star offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, who had to be carted off the field Thursday, suffered a ruptured patella tendon, the team said.

He will undergo season-ending surgery.

After Slater suffered the injury, a pair of trainers helped Slater inside, and the former first-round pick slammed his helmet and had a towel over his head, according to The Athletic.

His teammates reportedly gathered around him following the crushing development.

Losing Slater, 26, is a devastating blow for the AFC West contenders, especially after their fantastic first season under Jim Harbaugh in 2024.


  Rashawn Slater before a December 2024 game. AP Rashawn Slater before a December 2024 game. AP

The No. 13 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is considered one of the best linemen in the sport, and the Chargers rewarded him just last month with a four-year, $114 million contract with $92 million guaranteed, per ESPN.

That deal made him the highest-paid lineman in NFL history in terms of annual average value, and came on the heels of his second Pro Bowl season.

Slater started at least 15 games in three of his first four seasons, with the lone exception coming in 2022 when a ruptured biceps tendon limited him to three games.

Beyond the massive impact of losing a player of Slater’s caliber, his absence will likely also be a tough blow for a Chargers team that employs a run-first mantra under Harbaugh.


  Rashawn Slater during a July 2025 presser. AP Rashawn Slater during a July 2025 presser. AP

Los Angeles tallied the 12th-most carries in the NFL last season, and used the No. 22 pick in this year’s draft to select Omarion Hampton from North Carolina and signed veteran Najee Harris in free agency.

Slater was also responsible for protecting franchise quarterback Justin Herbert’s blind spot and helped him produce a strong 2024 campaign.

The Chargers went 11-6 last year before a stunning 32-12 road loss to the Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

They open their 2025 season in Brazil against the Chiefs on Sept .5

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