Chargers OTs Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt ahead of schedule in their rehab

Chargers offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are working their way back from injuries that prematurely ended their season in 2025. General Manager Joe Hortiz offered an encouraging update on Thursday.

"I think they're ahead of schedule," Hortiz said, via Eric Smith of the team website. "Both are tracking well, and [I'm] looking forward to seeing them out there."

The Chargers' offseason program begins Monday and Hortiz said both could participate, though the team will be deliberate in their return to football activities.

"Yeah, I think they’ll be involved in some capacity," Hortiz said. "Coming back from injuries, you don't rush anything, there's no need to rush it. Let them come back, be healthy, the target is for the start of training camp. But I think they'll be out there getting some work."

Alt earned Pro Bowl honors despite playing in only six games due to an ankle injury that ended his second season.

Slater ruptured a patellar tendon in training camp.

"My expectations, where [Slater] is, where he's been, where he was in the fall, it's a different recovery time. No rush, but everything indicator is he's ahead of schedule and doing really well," Hortiz said. "We're not going to rush it. We're going to take our time. There's a timeline to recover from that. Go through the steps, but he looks great.

"I look out the window, and he's out there working, moving around. I feel good about it."

A rash of injuries in the offensive line in 2025 could lead the Chargers to add another offensive tackle in the draft.

"Now, if last year proved anything it's that you can never have too many tackles, just like the year before proved you can't have too many corners. You can never have too many of anything," Hortiz said. "It doesn't change our approach. If there's a tackle in the draft that we like and he's sitting there when we're picking, and he's the top guy, we'll take him."