Since the Chargers season ended, there’s been major steps to getting to where he is now.
“It’s been a progression as far as what I’ve been able to do, but really towards the end of the season is when I started running,” Slater said. “We’ve just been stacking and stacking, getting the plyo’s, power, squatting and all that. It was super slow at first but eventually just started rolling and feeling great now.”
Fellow tackle Joe Alt has seen firsthand how much work Slater has put in since August.
Alt spent the offseason rehabbing from his injury alongside Slater, and praised his teammate’s approach to working his way back.
“I think Rashawn, it’s his mental mindset for me,” Alt said about Slater. “He comes out every single day ready to attack. We kind of went through the same thing last year and being able to be back on the field and pick up where he left off, I think that’s what Rashawn did.
“He picked up exactly where he was mentally, physically and he was ready to roll,” Alt added. “He’s been improving every single day since he got back and it’s been fun to be in that circle with him as we’ve progressed back in.”
Slater said his expectation is he will be cleared by the time camp rolls around later next month, although he doesn’t know exactly what the approach will be.
“I’m not sure exactly what kind of limitations there will be, I know I’ll be cleared,” Slater said. “Whatever precautions they want to take will be purely based off of that. As far as how I feel, I feel fantastic.”
That being said, he’s had a blast so far getting to learn the new scheme under Chargers Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel, noting it’s going to allow him and the rest of the offensive line to play in a way he enjoys.
“It’s been great, I love it,” Slater said. “I think the scheme is fantastic, it’s going to let us play fast and play violently. It’s going to be fun.”