Chargers Place WR on IR Before Start of Season

Valentina Martinez | Sep 7, 2024

Jun 13, 2024; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh joins hands in a huddle with tight end Donald Parham Jr. (89), running back J.K. Dobbins (27), quarterback Justin Herbert (10) and receiver Ladd McConkey (15) during minicamp at the Hoag Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers placed wide receiver D.J. Chark on injured reserve Saturday. In a corresponding move, the Chargers signed tight end Eric Tomlinson to the active roster.

we’ve placed WR DJ Chark Jr. on injured reserve + signed TE Eric Tomlinson to the active roster

→ https://t.co/jmBSL0PxbM pic.twitter.com/o6eJTy34ex

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 7, 2024

The offseason acquisition was listed as out for the season opener with a hip injury against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

The 27-year-old was slated to be one of the primary players in the Chargers receiver corps, but the hip injury he sustained appears to be rather serious. It's unclear how long Chark will spend on the injured reserve.

The receiver was absent from Thursday's practice for the second straight day, indicating there was a possibility he would be absent from the season opener.

The Chargers will lean on rookie receiver Ladd McConkey, Joshua Palmer, and Quentin Johnston in the season opener. The Bolts also have Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko, and Brenden Rice at receiver, but no receiver in the room had as many years under their belt as Chark.

Tomlinson has played for the New York Jets, New York Giants, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and the Raiders. Throughout his career, the tight end has amassed 280 yards and three touchdowns on 27 career receptions.

Chark was a key offseason addition for the Chargers. He signed a one-year, $3 million contract with Los Angeles in May.

His six seasons in the NFL brought experience to a receiver room lacking players with more than three years in the league. He's played a majority on the outside in his career, but he also spent some time in the slot.

He added speed to the pass-rushing unit as he recorded a 40-yard dash of 4.34 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2018.

Chark recorded 35 catches for 525 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Carolina Panthers. His best season was in 2019 when he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He posted 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight scores which were all career-highs for the receiver.

The Chargers hoped Chark would look similar to his 2019 form, however, the latest injury is reminiscent of his ongoing struggles to stay healthy with previous teams.

The receiver was slated to be one of the main options for Justin Herbert this season. Although McConkey emerged as the No. 1 receiver in training camp, Chark was projected to be a pivotal playmaker for Los Angeles.

In the last five seasons, Chark has played just 54 of 82 games due to a number of injuries.