Rashawn Slater Reportedly Signs $114M Chargers Contract, Top-Paid OT in NFL History

The Los Angeles Chargers and offensive tackle Rashawn Slater agreed to a four-year $114 million extension, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal includes $92 million guaranteed, while Slater's $28.5 million average salary is the highest ever for his position.

The 26-year-old was a Pro Bowler for the second time in 2024, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler listed him as the sixth-best tackle in his annual rankings exercise.

"He was better against pressure and excelled in this scheme," one NFC executive told Fowler. "If you put the emphasis on movement rather than pure physicality, you value him more."

According to NFL.com's Bobby Kownack, Slater was sixth among qualified tackles in pressure rate (7.8 percent) and seventh in sack rate (one percent). He allowed three sacks over the entirety of last season.

Beyond rewarding Slater for his past work, the Chargers are heading off a protracted contract battle. He was only a year out from free agency after they picked up his $19 million club option for 2025.

Some fans wondered whether the 6'4", 315-pound blocker was sending a bit of a message with his limited participation in training camp. Head coach Jim Harbaugh chalked it up to a minor injury.

Now, Slater's financial status is definitively no longer a concern.

Re-signing him before the tackle market climbs even higher was also important for general manager Joe Hortiz because it's not too early to begin looking ahead to Joe Alt's next deal.

The 2024 first-round pick started 16 games and performed well as a rookie. Assuming he continues on his current course, he'll be eligible for free agency (2029) at a time when the best tackles are likely commanding $30 million-plus per year.

Hortiz will cross that bridge when it comes. For now, he can rest easy knowing Slater and Alt will bookend the line for at least the next four years.