Former Notre Dame legend making things very difficult for the Los Angeles Chargers regarding a crucial decision on the horizon
Former Notre Dame All-American left tackle Joe Alt could create a difficult decision for the Los Angeles Chargers down the road
Some didn’t love the Los Angeles selection of former Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt during the 2024 NFL Draft. Head coach Jim Harbaugh opted for the 6-8, 320-pound offensive lineman at No. 5 overall instead of improving the wide receiver room with the likes of Malik Nabers. A lot of the fan pushback came from wanting that new explosive toy for an improving passing attack.
After his rookie season and one game so far in 2025, it does appear that Coach Harbaugh and his staff made the right decision. Despite being just 21 years old during the entirety of the 2024 NFL season, Alt performed fantastically at right tackle, creating an impressive bookend with Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater. It was even more impressive considering that Alt had never taken a snap at right tackle prior to his rookie year.
Heading into the 2025 season, there was a lot of optimism and excitement for what those bookend tackles could accomplish in their second year together, but unfortunately, Slater suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury prior to the year beginning. That forced the Chargers to make the decision to shift Alt back to the blind side.
It was only one football game, but Alt looked tremendous during his first start at left tackle this past week against the Kansas City Chiefs. Challenged by the likes of Chris Jones, it was an incredibly clean game. The former Fighting Irish star didn’t allow a single pressure during the 27 to 21 victory over Kansas City, allowing quarterback Justin Herbert to throw for 318 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Just how good was Joe Alt?
You never want to get too hyperbolic after one game, and Alt does need to stack performances now at left tackle, but it’s hard to ignore just how good he looked during week one. Still just 22 years old, he has the look of a perennial All-Pro in the future, most likely what Los Angeles thought they were getting when they drafted him so high.
Alt looked very good at right tackle, but he looked elite back at his natural position.
If Alt does continue to play this way, there is going to be a fascinating conversation that will need to happen when Slater returns from injury. The team didn’t want to move Slater from the blindside initially, especially for a rookie who hadn’t played a snap on the NFL level yet. Now that we have seen what Alt looks like in the position, there is a strong argument that he has a higher ceiling in that role.
Luckily for the Chargers, Slater does feel like the type of player who could move to right tackle pretty easily. The question is whether he would be open to it with the early career success he has had. There is no way of knowing what Slater’s perspective is on the potential switch right now.
Either way, Herbert is going to be a lucky quarterback for the foreseeable future. Having two really good offensive tackles is the dream. The continued ascension of Alt will be something to monitor closely. He looks like the next great NFL left tackle, and the early returns for the Chargers have been tremendous.
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