Saratoga, California, is located approximately 30 miles south of San Francisco, where the Chargers recently held joint practice.
The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Wednesday that rookie Jake Slaughter will begin the regular season as their starting center. This move comes after Tyler Biadasz suffered a season-ending ACL injury during a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers. The official confirmation arrived just as the Week 1 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals approaches.
Slaughter was selected with the 63rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He initially competed for the left guard position during training camp. The injury to Biadasz shifted his role, requiring him to protect quarterback Justin Herbert from the center spot.
Slaughter brings extensive experience from the University of Florida, where he started 33 games and appeared in 51 contests while playing center throughout his collegiate career.
He will be surrounded by an experienced offensive line. Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt return to tackle positions. Cole Strange is expected to start at right guard. Kayode Awosika was named the starting left guard on Wednesday. The team now turns its attention to evaluating Slaughter’s performance in actual game situations as the campaign begins.