Chargers’ second-year tackle and 2021 Pro Bowl selection Rashawn Slater is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 season due to a torn biceps tendon.
Slater left the field early in the third quarter following the rupture. He immediately underwent testing in the locker room and was unable to return. He underwent additional testing Monday morning that revealed the severity of the injury.
The bicep muscle is arguably the most well known muscle on the human body, however it does more than just curl weights. The biceps allow the elbow to bend and the arm to rotate, as well as help stabilize the shoulder. They contain two heads: the short head (medial) and the long head (lateral), and have three tendons: one that inserts (attaches) at the elbow and is connected to the short head, and two that insert at the shoulder and are connected to the long head.
A biceps tendon tear can happen at either insertion site, and can be either partial or full tears. Once torn, the tendon can not naturally reattach itself to the bone and heal, which is when surgery becomes an option. To regain complete function of the elbow and shoulder, surgery is the only option. However, in many cases people with torn tendons can resume normal activities without undergoing surgery.
The most frequently ruptured tendons are either of the two on the long head that insert at the shoulder, so it’s safe to assume this is what Slater is dealing with. The good news is that undergoing surgery means he will enjoy a full range of motion and pre-injury strength levels once he completes rehab.
