Joe

Alt

Alt closed the week with two Full Participant practice designations, so he is good to go. RT Rashawn Slater (pectoral) was limited all week and appears to be truly questionable.

Left tackle Rashawn Slater (pec) was also limited. Both tackles missed Week 4 and then got a Week 5 bye to recovery. A limited session to start the week puts the duo on track to return this week. The Chargers were without both starting tackles the last time we saw them and they were held to 10 points by the Chiefs. Assuming Alt and Slater are back by Sunday, they will have a much better outlook for their matchup with the Broncos.

Justin Herbert is expected to play but will do so without either of his starting tackles. Alt was ruled out over the weekend while Rashawn Slater was listed as out on Friday’s injury report. Alt is dealing with a sprained MCL and could be out for more than just Week 4. For a team built on winning through the trenches, this is a disastrous start to the year.

Chargers RT Joe Alt (knee) is also listed as questionable, leaving the Chargers’ offensive line in a tough position heading into this divisional game. Backup T Trey Pipkins III (foot) will play through his injury after practicing in full Friday.

Alt exited in the second half of the Chargers’ loss to the Steelers and did not return to the field. The rookie tackle has been solid through the first three games of his career, earning a PFF blocking grade of 77.0 while allowing just three quarterback pressures. He’s also allowed two sacks, but Alt has proven to be well worth the No. 5 pick the Chargers used on him in this year’s draft. We don’t yet know how much time he’ll miss, but it’s an unfortunate setback for a promising young player.

The Chargers will have control over the towering lineman for the next five years considering his first round selection. Alt is expected to immediately enter the starting lineup at right tackle for a rebuilding Chargers team with an all new coaching staff under Jim Harbaugh. A likely emphasis on a run-balanced offensive approach in Los Angeles, paired with stout tackle play on both sides of the line, should allow the Chargers to improve upon their offensive line play from a season ago after allowing the 12th-most sacks in the league.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, new Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh made Alt the first lineman off the board. The son of former 13-year NFL OL John Alt, Alt (6’9/321) played tight end in high school before shifting to tackle at Notre Dame. He acclimated quickly enough to start the final eight games of ND’s 2021 campaign, logging 614 snaps and allowing three sacks despite being a true freshman. His sacks allowed disappeared over the next two seasons, allowing just one QB takedown and 13 pressures in 1,600 snaps in that span while anchoring an elite line. The All-American showed out in testing, posting the highest Relative Athletic Score in the 2024 tackle class with a superb 9.91 RAS Combine performance. He has a long, linear frame that allows him to pack on functional mass while still maintaining impressive lateral quickness and burst. Alt’s flexibility and wide base allow him to both recover and anchor extremely well, which is a result of his freakish athletic gifts for the position. He could stand to be a bit more stout on contact, as he will give ground to some of the more prominent power rushers he faced this year. However, Alt almost always is able to reset and stiffen up before any damage is done in the backfield. Alt has all the tools necessary to be a decade-long, plug-and-play NFL left tackle, though he will likely start out manning the right side for the Bolts, who have Rashawn Slater on the left.

Per Schultz, the Chargers have explored trading back. With three quarterbacks expected to start the draft and Marvin Harrison Jr. possibly landing in Arizona, the Chargers are likely looking at a choice between offensive tackle Joe Alt and wide receiver Malik Nabers if they don’t move down. Alt is a cornerstone left tackle, but the Chargers would start him at right tackle with Rashawn Slater handling the left tackle duties. Having those two bookending the line would be an enticing idea for Jim Harbaugh and his run-first offense. On the other hand, Josh Palmer is currently in line to be the team’s top receiver in 2024.

The Chargers have the fifth pick in the upcoming draft and the Titans hold the seventh pick. Alt would make sense as a Charger after new head coach Jim Harbaugh has talked up a tough-nosed, run-first offense that would require elite blocking. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded the Chargers as the worst run blocking unit in the NFL. The Titans, meanwhile, were 24th in PFF run blocking and 18th in pass blocking. Breer said “in talking with people over the past few days, another Joe’s name has come up when discussing Notre Dame LT Joe Alt. That’d be Joe Thomas. Now, it’s not the cleanest comp. Alt’s a little bigger and longer, and Thomas maybe a little more powerful. But it works for teams in that Alt’s tape can sometimes be less than spectacular because he’s so athletic.”