Latest Chargers OL news

They sort of fell behind names like Justin Herbert and Joey Bosa for obvious reasons, but Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater were also dealing with injury issues heading into their Week 6 AFC West game against the Denver Broncos battle.

According to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times, both Alt and Slater returned to practice on Wednesday after the bye. This is an important first step on the road to return for both tackles – and huge for the offense as a whole.

Alt, the fifth overall pick this year who got off to a good start by taking out Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby, suffered an MCL sprain during the Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and missed the Week 4 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Slater, the elite tackle on the other side ahead of Herbert, left against the Steelers with a pectoral muscle injury and also missed the AFC West game against the Chiefs.

Should Alt or Slater miss more time or be forced out of the lineup against the Broncos, the Chargers will once again be forced to lean on a variety of names like Jamaree Salyer in the lineup.

The Chargers have already struggled to find an offensive identity under Jim Harbaugh, due in part to injury concerns in the trenches. While head coach and coordinator Greg Roman would like to push hard into the running, the lack of cohesion and chemistry in the starting lineup at the top makes it difficult for the organization to change tone. That's why it's just as important to keep an eye on Alt and Slater before kick-off as the other injured names.

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