The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off a very strong victory against the Denver Broncos. This game finally gave Chargers fans hope that the offense can truly function at a high level, especially in the passing game. The passing game should continue to improve as health improves for the offense; Not so much for the defense. One of these offensive additions due to health is this year’s late-stage off-season signing, DJ Chark.
The team expects to open Chark’s 21-day practice window. The final boost to this Chargers offense.
#Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh said the team expects to open WR DJ Chark’s 21-day practice window today.
— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) October 16, 2024
DJ Chark: Before the Chargers
As a second-round selection in 2018, Chark was expected to become a strong part of an offense. More specifically, the then Blake Bortles led Jacksonville Jaguars. Chark battled with injury, and missing time in his first season, showing next to nothing.
In his second year, he played 15 games with Gardner Minshew as his quarterback and had a career-high 1008 yards with eight touchdowns.
This is an insane catch by DJ Chark.
Won't get much attention because it didn't gain a lot of yards but look where the ball was when he finally got his head around.
Cat-like reflexes or Jaguar-like pic.twitter.com/sLGfX54cZy
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) September 18, 2019
After two more seasons in Jacksonville, one of which yielded 706 yards and five touchdowns in only 13 games (2020), and the next season (2021) had Chark on IR for all but four games. Even after showing promise, especially in that 2019 season, the Jaguars were fed up with the injury woes of Chark and decided to let him go.
Chark went to Detroit and had a strong season with 502 yards, in only 11 games… once again due to injury. This leads us to last season where Chark had 525 yards and five touchdowns with the Carolina Panthers and their horrid passing game.
DJ chark gonna be a demon pic.twitter.com/DD17Ttp9A2
— Jt ⁰ (@HunchoJt__) October 16, 2024
The Chargers saw that Chark put up solid numbers in a horrid passing offense saw their need at receiver, and gave him a call. He was later signed to the team, and is now ready to play his first game in the Powder Blues; once he is fully activated from his 21-day window.
DJ Chark is indeed practicing today. https://t.co/ClOp3paWKO pic.twitter.com/T4UvqSkWQF
— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) October 16, 2024
What is Chark’s Role for the Rest of the Season
Once DJ Chark is fully activated from his 21-day window, he will find himself in a crowded, yet, average Chargers receiver room. The Chargers currently boast the 29th-ranked passing offense and are looking for a boost from their receivers.
Joshua Palmer has not played up to expectation, seemingly being a nonfactor for the majority of the season thus far. Quentin Johnston is now on the injury report but has shown more flashes than he did all of his rookie season. Ladd McConkey has been very good since his drafting, but a rookie receiver should not be carrying a receiver room this early in the season.
Ladd McConkey pic.twitter.com/POtwJIKk3n
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) October 14, 2024
As for the tight ends, Hayden Hurst is expected to miss time, and outside of him, there are not many pass-catching threats in the room. This is where Chark comes into effect. His health will allow the Chargers injury report to matter less in regards to the passing offense.
Chark will bring size, speed, and reliability to the young receiving corps. Exactly what Justin Herbert needs. Somebody to reliably throw verts too. He will bring another element to the offense that is blatantly missing. So as that vertical threat, expect Chark to be the Charger’s “X” receiver for the rest of 2024.
Main Image: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
