Rashawn Slater was away from the Chargers during OTAs, but he was in attendance for this week’s mandatory minicamp. When speaking about that decision and his ongoing extension talks, the Pro Bowl left tackle struck an optimistic tone.

As things stand, Slater is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2025. He is owed $19.04MM for the year, but negotiations on a long-term deal have been taking place for much of the offseason. A raise will be in store for the 26-year-old once an extension is agreed to, although it remains to be seen when that will be the case. Slater declined to say if he would give thought to a holdout in the event no deal were to be in hand by training camp.

“We’ll see,” the former No. 13 pick said (via the team’s website). “I think, you know, my agent obviously is having those conversations on my behalf, so for me I’m just focused on training and whatever happens happens.”

When asked about Slater’s situation, head coach Jim Harbaugh echoed the previous sentiments of general manager Joe Hortiz that the team aims to hammer out a long-term accord. Work still needs to be done of course, but Slater noted he expects that will take place. The Northwestern product was limited to three games in 2022, but otherwise he has proven to be durable protecting Justin Herbert‘s blindside. Slater earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie and repeated that feat in 2024, the first season of Los Angeles’ tackle tandem with he and Joe Alt.

Selected fifth overall in his draft class, Alt could take over the left tackle spot in the event Slater were to depart in free agency next spring. The Chargers could ensure an effective setup at both talks spots for years to come with a long-term Slater pact, though, and finalizing one will be a priority for the summer. Los Angeles’ blindside blocker will no doubt look to join the 15 tackles currently earning $20MM or more annually; in any case, he will remain the team’s highest-paid O-lineman by a comfortable margin if and when a second contract is signed.

With spring work now in the books, Slater’s attention could turn to the matter of his extension. Questions about training camp participation will increase if he remains a pending free agent by mid-July. For now, at least, he is at ease with respect to his financial outlook.

“I have no concern about it at all,” he added. “Realistically speaking, I’ve known for a long time, it’s how these things go. It’s not something that’s bothered me. It’s just the business of football so I have full confidence. I feel good.”

During each of his first four seasons in the NFL, Rashawn Slater attended the opening session of organized team activities. The Chargers’ left tackle has deviated from that trend in 2025, though.

Slater was absent from the beginning of Los Angeles’ OTAs, as detailed by Gavino Borquez of ChargersWire. The move comes against the backdrop of an extension being sought in this case. The 26-year-old is currently set to play out his fifth-year option in 2025.

Since joining the Bolts as a first-round pick, Slater has handled full-time starting duties on the blindside. He earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie and added another to his resume in 2024. The intervening years included a biceps tear which limited him to three games in 2022, but he managed to play a full campaign the following season. With his value to the Chargers’ offensive line well established, extension talks have unsurprisingly taken place since at least February.

Not long after the draft, it became clear team and player were still discussing a long-term pact. General manager Joe Hortiz expressed his desire for an agreement to be reached, but that is obviously not the case yet. Voluntary workouts will continue for the Chargers until mandatory minicamp takes place from June 10-12. The prospect of fines for missed time would only emerge if Slater remained absent for that event.

The Northwestern product is owed $19.04MM in 2025 as a result of Los Angeles’ decision to pick up his option last spring. That figure is guaranteed in full, but an extension will bring with it plenty more in terms of locked in compensation as well as a raise. 15 offensive tackles are currently attached to a deal averaging at least $20MM per year, with six carrying an AAV of $25MM or more. The latter group includes right tackles Penei Sewell and Lane Johnson, though, so Slater would be joining exclusive company in terms of blindside protectors if his new deal were to check in at the higher rate.

The Chargers used the No. 5 pick in last year’s draft on Joe Alt, and he operated at right tackle as a rookie. The Notre Dame product looms as a potential successor to Slater given his college experience on the opposite side, but the team would of course prefer to keep its tandem in place for years to come. Doing so will require working out a lucrative pact for Slater, and there is still clearly progress to be made on that front.

The Chargers are continuing extension talks with left tackle Rashawn Slater, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, and general manager Joe Hortiz is “hopeful” that the two sides will come to an agreement.

Slater, the 13th overall pick in 2021, is entering the final year of his rookie deal on a fifth-year option worth $19MM. He has been one of the league’s premier blindside protectors since he entered the league, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors as a rookie. A torn biceps tendon ended his second season after just three games, and he’s starting 48 of the Chargers’ 51 regular-season games in his other three years in Los Angeles.

The former Northwestern Wildcat has been ultra-consistent in pass protection, with only two games in his career with more than four pressures allowed, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Slater is also an excellent run-blocker, though the Chargers have not posted strong team-wide rushing numbers in his tenure.

Slater’s extension could make him the league’s highest-paid left tackle. Christian Darrisaw reset the market at $26MM per year last July, and Trent Williams surpassed him in September with a $27.55MM APY. However, this offseason saw Ja’Marr Chase and Myles Garrett reset their positional markets by significant figures, and Slater could push to do the same by becoming the first offensive lineman to earn at least $30MM per year.

The Chargers would likely balk at such a figure this year, as the 2026 franchise tag for offensive linemen is projected to be $27.6MM, per OverTheCap. Los Angeles could tag Slater next offseason and continue negotiations after another increase in the salary cap. A second franchise tag in 2027 would cost another $33.1MM, resulting in a two-year average of $30.4MM that could help the two sides find a middle ground on a long-term deal.

The Chargers have discussed a contract extension with left tackle Rashawn Slater, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

“We’ve had conversations,” said general manager Joe Hortiz (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim). “I love Rashawn. And Rashawn is a great player, and he helps us win football games, so I’d love Rashan to be around for a long time.”

Slater has been one of the league’s best left tackles since being drafted with the 13th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. His rookie season featured Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors, as well as a fourth-place finish in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. A torn biceps prematurely ended his second year, but he bounced back with a solid season in 2023 and another Pro Bowl nod in 2024.

The Chargers picked up Slater’s fifth-year option last March and are set to pay him just over $19MM this year. A long-term extension could lower his cap hit considerably, giving Los Angeles even more money for free agency next month.

Slater, who will turn 26 in March, will likely seek a top-of-the-market left tackle contract. For comparison, fellow 2021 first-rounder Christian Darrisaw signed a $26MM APY extension with the Vikings heading into his age-26 season in 2024. With another significant cap increase this offseason, Slater will likely surpass that number and could even push to match the $27.5M per-year salary of Trent Williams.

Both Hortiz and director of player personnel strategy Corey Krawiec came up in Baltimore, where the Ravens have a history of extending franchise cornerstones. Slater would certainly fall under that category as a premier left tackle, making an extension with the Chargers seem like an inevitability.