The New England Patriots are one day away from their first preseason game against the Washington Commanders. It should be an exciting day in Foxborough, with Tom Brady's bronze statue being unveiled pregame, and New England's starters projected to play for at least a little portion of the matchup.
Good reports came out of Patriots training camp on Wednesday, as the team held it's first joint practice with the Commanders. The big winners of the day included the whole first-team offense, especially young wideouts Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas.
As Week 1 of the NFL Preseason gets underway on Thursday night, teams across the league have been ramping up their physicality in joint practices. One of the unfortunate realities of these practices is injuries, as they happen every year. The Patriots recently saw young cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr. go down with a torn ACL on Monday, on top of Pro Bowler Christian Gonzalez suffering a hamstring strain on July 29th.
The Patriots will try to manage their injuries from now until the end of training camp, but nothing is certain, knowing the physicality of the sport. While New England has been dealing with their own setbacks across the roster, one AFC West team may be without its two-time Pro Bowl tackle for this season after Rashawn Slater was carted off the practice field with a left leg injury.
There is growing concern that Slater suffered a torn ACL in Thursday's practice. The 26-year-old became the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league on July 27th, as the Chargers signed him to a four-year, $114 million extension.
Cart is out. Appears to be a left leg issue. He’s being carted inside. Teammates all coming up to hug him. https://t.co/WuH7agLRs4
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 7, 2025
Former Patriots OL Isaiah Wynn Could Be Rashawn Slater Replacement
With the Chargers set to miss their left tackle for the whole 2025 season, there is now a vacancy at the position. One former Patriots first-round pick remains without a job and could be a candidate to fill that void on Los Angeles' front.
Coming out of Georgia, Wynn was the Patriots' first-round pick (No.23) in the 2018 NFL Draft. He started 36 games as a Bulldog, both at tackle and guard, but wasn't expected to start along the Patriots' line his rookie season.
Trent Brown and Marcus Cannon were the team's tackles, but Wynn was selected as a depth piece that could eventually start down the line, as he provided positional flexibility.
Unfortunately for Wynn, his rookie season didn't come until 2019. He suffered a torn Achilles in the training camp of 2018, and this injury contributed to a downward trend throughout his tenure in New England.
The St. Petersburg, FL native would play only 46 games (40 starts) across four years in New England as he dealt with toe, knee, and foot injuries. Wynn's lone healthy season came in 2021, when he made 15 starts at left tackle.
The aforementioned foot injury ended his 2022 season in Week 11, and that would be the last game he played as a Patriot. That offseason, the Miami Dolphins signed Wynn to a one-year deal. The injury problems didn't stop when he arrived in Miami, and are a big reason he's without a job in 2025. Wynn played just 13 games, starting 10 of them, across two seasons with the Dolphins.
Now, the Chargers could be evaluating their options in the wake of Slater's injury. They have Ryan Nelson, a former UFL player, backing up Slater as of now. If they were to sign a free agent tackle, Wynn could be at the top of their list. Given his age (29) and experience (50 starts in career), there aren't many better options on the market right now.
Of course, the lengthy injury history could play a factor in their decision. The last (and only) healthy season that Wynn played was four years ago, and he wasn't very good when he suited up for Miami last season.
According to PFF grades, Wynn ranked 114 out of 136 guards with an abysmal 49.6 overall grade, followed by a 32.5 pass blocking grade (117th out of 136 guards).
If Wynn is hoping for a career revival, a one-year deal with the Chargers will be his best chance. If not, it could be a while before we see the former Patriot in the NFL again.