Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chargers Sign Left Tackle Rashawn Slater to Record Breaking Extension and Guaranteed Money – What To Make of Slater’s Extension?

Rashawn Slater is now the highest-earning offensive lineman

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2025 offseason has seen a plethora of deals and big money contract extensions, with the latest one coming from the Los Angeles Chargers, who signed their left tackle, Rashawn Slater, to a huge 4-year extension.

The 13th overall pick from the 2021 NFL draft is now heading into the fifth year of his rookie contract and is set to earn $19 million in 2025 after the team opted to take his fifth-year option.

Chargers, Rashawn Slater agree to a four-year, $114M extension to make him the highest-paid OT by AAV. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero, @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/EMDFh9eqCI
— NFL (@NFL) July 27, 2025

Rashawn Slater Contract Extension

Slater is now the highest-paid offensive lineman in the history of the league after the Chargers signed him to a 4-year, $114 million extension. Not only does that make him the highest-paid at his position, but his $92 million in guarantees is also the most for an offensive lineman.

Slater’s new deal means he will now earn $28.5 million annually, placing him above the likes of Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell, and Trent Williams at the top of the rankings. The Chargers have placed quite a lot of trust and put faith in Slater, rewarding him with such a lucrative deal.

Here is a look at the top five highest-earning offensive linemen following Slater’s new deal.

Player	Average annual salary
Rashawn Slater	$28.5 million
Tristan Wirfs	$28.12 million
Penei Sewell	$28 million
Trent Williams	$27.55 million
Christian Darrisaw	$26 million

Highest paid OL in the NFL on a per-year basis:

🏈Rashawn Slater: $28.5M
🏈Tristan Wirfs: $28.12M
🏈Penei Sewell: $28M
🏈Trent Williams: $27.55M
🏈Christian Darrisaw: $26M https://t.co/5S8Vtg1lLw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 27, 2025

Is Slater Worthy of the Massive Extension?

On the face of it, Slater’s extension to a record-breaking contract may raise a few eyebrows. But, the fact of the matter is that the 2-time Pro Bowler has been a huge asset to the Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert’s blindside ever since he was drafted in 2021.

The Chargers, who play in the AFC West, have their work cut out for them alongside the dominating Chiefs and the rapidly rising Broncos. While coach Jim Harbaugh employs a heavy run game, Slater plays an important role as a run blocker on the offensive line.

Chargers officially have Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater locked up for years to come!! pic.twitter.com/W2nhTaZRBf
— ChargersMuse (@ChargersMuse) July 27, 2025

With the newly acquired Najee Harris from the Steelers and the first-round draft selection of Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles will try to establish further dominance along the ground, for which Slater will be an essential piece. Moreover, the 26-year-old is an equally able pass blocker, essential for Herbert as the Chargers look to unlock their passing game.

Locking up their number one tackle for the foreseeable future makes plenty of sense, especially since the market keeps on increasing. The Chargers will be pleased to have set a benchmark and not worry about the inflating prices once other linemen get paid.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Chargers

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Rashawn Slater

Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!