Training camp is underway for all 32 teams, signaling that football is approaching. However, the return of football also means the return of injuries, and the Saints and Chargers already had two major scares with some of their best players. For New Orleans, star cornerback Marshon Lattimore left practice with a hip flexor injury, while Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater left practice early with an undisclosed injury.
Practice just ended:
– Rashawn Slater, J.K. Dobbins, Donald Parham, and Praise Olatoke left practice early
– Joshua Palmer, Hayden hurst and Gus Edwards worked out inside
– Big day for the receivers: Deep catches by DJ Chark, Quentin Johnston and Brenden Rice.— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) July 26, 2024
Saints, Chargers Lose Stars to Injuries
Marshon Lattimore has battled injuries for a sizable portion of the last two seasons, and the star cornerback is off to a bad start in 2024. The cornerback left practice on Thursday and head coach Dennis Allen later said he injured his hip flexor. As of this posting, we do not know the severity of the injury, but it’s worth noting that Lattimore has a history of this type of injury. Lattimore suffered a hip flexor injury during the 2017 Scouting Combine during the buildup to the NFL Draft.
Lattimore’s injury comes at an inopportune time, as the cornerback has been the subject of trade talks throughout the offseason. While the former first-round pick remains on the roster, nobody should be too surprised if New Orleans deals him before the start of the regular season. As mentioned before, Lattimore has battled through several injuries over the past few seasons, playing in just 17 games since the start of 2022.
With second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry set to start and the Saints projected to be $91.64 million over the salary cap next year, it’s easy to see why New Orleans could part ways with Lattimore. However, if the Saints want to trade the cornerback, they’ll need him to prove once and for all that these injuries are a thing of the past. So far, he’s not off to a good start.
Rashawn Slater Suffers Undisclosed Injury
As of this posting, nobody knows exactly what happened to Rashawn Slater. All we know is that the star tackle had to leave midway through Thursday’s practice and did not return to the field. Hopefully, this is nothing serious as Slater will play a pivotal role for the 2024 Chargers.
Former 49ers and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is now calling the shots in Los Angeles, which means this team will go as far as the run game can carry them. Despite the lack of talent at wide receiver, the Chargers decided to use the fifth-overall pick on offensive tackle Joe Alt in an attempt to bolster the offensive line and win on the ground. On paper, Alt and Slater could form the best offensive tackle duo in the league, but injuries could prevent the Chargers from reaching that potential.
If Slater has to miss time, the Chargers could slide Alt back to his native left tackle and put Trey Pipkins as the starting right tackle. This will effectively recreate the 2023 Chargers offensive line, and while the unit wasn’t an outright disaster, it won’t be enough to carry this team. Justin Herbert is great, but he can’t lead a team with no offensive weapons and an unremarkable offensive line.
Main Photo: Maria Lysaker – USA Today Sports
