As a rookie last year, Los Angeles Chargers right tackle Joe Alt leaned on left tackle Rashawn Slater. Alt was finding his way in the NFL. Slater was already an established star. After training camp practices last summer at The Bolt, as other players trickled into the facility, Alt and Slater would remain on the field. Alt asked questions and Slater answered, demonstrating the minute details of his technique.
“He put me under his wing,” Alt said.
On Thursday, the Chargers suffered what coach Jim Harbaugh called a “gut punch right to the solar plexus.” Slater tore the patellar tendon in his left knee during practice. He is out for the season. The Chargers returned to the field Friday, and Alt was forced to find a new post-practice training partner. Alt spent 15 minutes after practice working on pass-protection sets with Trey Pipkins, who will move into the starting lineup. Alt will move from right tackle to left tackle, replacing Slater. Pipkins will play right tackle. When Alt was setting during the extra-work session, Pipkins was serving as the edge rusher. The two then swapped spots. Alt was setting from a left tackle stance, and Pipkins from a right tackle stance.
“Trey’s a vet,” Alt said of Pipkins, who has played nearly 3,000 snaps at right tackle in his career. “He’s been playing right tackle for a long time. … I get to go pick his brain. He’s played a lot more football than I have in the NFL. He’s had a lot more experiences. So being able to work with him and just get a different opinion on how he sees the game helps me a ton.”
Read more on Los Angeles’ offensive line below.