The Chargers are already known to be in the market for running back help in advance of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. They’re also making preliminary offensive tackle inquiries, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports.
Just weeks before the 2025 season began, the Chargers appeared to have an enviable situation at tackle with Rashawn Slater protecting quarterback Justin Herbert‘s blind side and 2024 fifth overall pick Joe Alt on the right. It turns out that the two standout blockers were unable to play together at all this year.
In signing Slater to a four-year, $114MM extension in July, the Chargers made the two-time Pro Bowler one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in NFL history. Under two weeks later, though, the Chargers lost Slater for 2025 when he suffered a torn patellar tendon during practice.
In the wake of Slater’s devastating injury, the Chargers moved Alt to the left side. However, Alt added to the Chargers’ injury woes when he left a Week 4 loss to the Giants with a high ankle sprain. Alt avoided an IR stint, but he has missed the Chargers’ last two games. The Bolts also went without another starting tackle, RT Trey Pipkins (knee), in their win over the Dolphins in Week 6.
There’s no word on whether Alt or Pipkins will play Sunday against the Colts in a matchup of AFC contenders. Austin Deculus and the just-signed Bobby Hart, making his first regular-season appearance since 2022, served as L.A.’s starting tackles last Sunday. Deculus and Hart could start again this week if Alt and Pipkins are unavailable.
Despite their injuries along the O-line and the absences of running backs Omarion Hampton (ankle) and Najee Harris (Achilles), the Chargers rushed for 140 yards against the Dolphins. Backup RB Kimani Vidal unexpectedly ran for 124 yards on 18 carries, while Herbert completed 29 of 38 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins only sacked him once.
While the Chargers’ offense is coming off a productive performance, it’s understandable that general manager Joe Hortiz doesn’t fully trust his healthy tackle options. There’s no word on which players Hortiz has targeted, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter names the Giants’ Evan Neal as a trade candidate leading up to the deadline. The problem is that Neal doesn’t look like a clear answer to the Chargers’ issues. After struggling at tackle during the first three seasons of his career, the former seventh overall pick has worked as a backup guard this year. Neal has yet to take a snap in 2025.