Chargers Lose Rashawn Slater to IR Following Tight-Rope Ankle Surgery

The Los Angeles Chargers are officially putting left tackle Rashawn Slater on Injured Reserve after he underwent tight-rope surgery for a high-ankle sprain.

Slater went down during Sunday's 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to Ian Rapoport, and now the Los Angeles blindside is officially a construction zone. The procedure is designed to speed up recovery, but an IR stint guarantees he is out for at least the next four weeks.

"Ian Rapoport reported the surgery was successful and aimed at accelerating his return from the high-ankle sprain."

If you follow the NFL, you know the tight-rope surgery has become the trendy medical fix of the decade. It sounds like something a circus performer does without a net, but it is basically the only reason half the league's players ever make it back on the field from an ankle injury before Thanksgiving.

Losing a franchise left tackle is a disaster for any offense, but it is especially brutal for a Chargers team trying to keep their season on the rails. The quarterback already takes enough hits without having to worry about a backup tackle getting turnstiled into the backfield on third down.

This is the kind of roster move that immediately shifts how you look at a team's offensive ceiling. Anyone holding Los Angeles passing game tickets or relying on their skill players needs to factor in a lot less time in the pocket and a lot more panic check-downs.

The immediate test comes this Sunday when the Denver Broncos roll into Los Angeles. We will find out very quickly if the Chargers have a viable backup plan, or if the offense is about to spend the afternoon running for survival.