EL SEGUNDO — The Chargers’ offensive line shuffle in the wake of left tackle Rashawn Slater’s season-ending knee injury Thursday began in earnest Friday. Joe Alt will shift from right tackle to left tackle to replace Slater for the upcoming season, acting as quarterback Justin Herbert’s blindside protector.
It won’t be the only significant change, though.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said Trey Pipkins III would slot into Alt’s spot at right tackle, alongside guard Mekhi Becton. Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson will retain their spots as center and left guard, positions they have alternated in a training camp experiment on an almost daily basis since spring practices.
Harbaugh also said Jamaree Salyer would likely become a swing guard and tackle, and Andre James would be a backup center. It’s also likely the Chargers will explore adding a free agent offensive lineman in the coming days, working them out Saturday at their training facility.
“It’s like a gut punch,” Harbaugh said of losing Slater, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who signed a four-year, $114-million contract extension July 27 and was expected to continue as one of the Chargers’ top players regardless of position. “It takes the wind out of you. I don’t really have the words.”
Harbaugh said he hadn’t spoken directly to Slater, but swapped text messages.
He also said he didn’t see what happened as it happened Thursday, but explained the injury this way: As Slater backed up into position to begin blocking for Herbert, his right foot slipped out from under him and all his weight transferred to his left leg and the pressure was too great for his patellar tendon.
“I haven’t really been able to think about anything else,” Harbaugh said a little more than 24 hours after Slater was hurt. “I feel bad for Rashawn. I know how much he’s put into it, how much he’s trained. I also know how he’ll attack the rehab and train, and he’ll be back, not this season, but I know he’ll be back.”
Alt played left tackle collegiately while at Notre Dame and again on occasion for the Chargers during his rookie season in 2024, and he stressed Friday that he has a comfort level playing either right or left tackle. He said he expected to raise his level of play while Slater is sidelined.
“I think it’s a given with the offensive linemen,” Alt said. “We’re brothers. You have someone go down and the goal is to play as five (offensive linemen) as one. That’s the way you can do it, by moving forward and playing the best we can do it. That’s what he would want us to do.”
Pipkins shifted to right guard from right tackle last season after the Chargers drafted Alt in the first round (fifth overall). Pipkins won a training camp battle with Storm Norton in 2022 and was the Chargers’ starting right tackle for the next two seasons until the heralded Alt joined the team.
“Doing what I usually do, attacking as I always attack it, working on the things I always work on,” Pipkins said. “Just go out there and do the best I can. I think I always have a chip on my shoulder, like, whether I come into a season as a starter or whether I come into a season as a backup. That’s kind of how I am.”
HARRIS (NON)UPDATE
Running back Najee Harris continued his practice of walking around the three practice fields, wearing a helmet with a visor and a weighted vest over his uniform. He has been performing the same limited exercise since Aug. 2, after suffering an eye injury in a July 4 fireworks accident.
Harbaugh, as his custom, declined to provide an update on Harris’ condition and didn’t say for certain whether one of the Chargers’ prized offseason acquisitions would be sound enough to play in the season-opening game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 5 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Harris’ agent, Doug Hendrickson, said last month that Harris’ injury was only “superficial” and he expected his client to be ready to play by the start of the regular season. The Chargers have not revealed the extent of Harris’ injury or offered a timetable for his return to practice.
“I don’t comment because I’m not a doctor,” Harbaugh said, responding to a question about a photo posted to a social media site Aug. 6 that shows Harris’ left eye completely shut. “I’m not Mr. Harris’ agent, either. I’m talking about what I know. Can he open his eye? Yeah, I’ve looked into his eye. I can tell you stuff like that.”