Los Angeles Chargers Add Intriguing Weapon For Justin Herbert

The Los Angeles Chargers had some serious work to do this offseason getting under the salary cap. It led to them having to move on from several veterans, with the wide receiver position being hit the hardest.

Mike Williams was released as a cap casualty while Keenan Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears. What was once a strength for the team quickly turned into a weakness, as the Chargers had one of the more underwhelming wide receiver groups in the NFL.

Knowing additions needed to be made, the Chargers did make a move in the 2024 NFL Draft to upgrade at wide receiver. They completed a trade with the New England Patriots to move up to No. 34 to select Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey.

That wasn’t the only move they made, as Los Angeles dipped into free agency to add another weapon around Justin Herbert. As shared by Kris Rhim of ESPN, the Chargers have agreed to a deal with veteran wide receiver DJ Chark.

Chark, a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars out of LSU, has spent six seasons in the NFL. He has one 1,000-yard campaign under his belt, which came in 2019.

He spent the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers, playing in 15 games and catching 35 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns. He is an excellent deep threat for an offense, averaging 14.5 yards per reception in his career. He is the third former Panther to join the Chargers this offseason, joining tight end Hayden Hurst and center Bradley Bozeman.

His presence will help take some pressure off of 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston, who left a lot to be desired during his rookie campaign. Chark fills a massive void on the roster as he is the only wide receiver with more than 800 career yards or three years of NFL experience on the roster.