Injured Chargers WR takes important step toward returning to field

The Chargers could soon add some veteran talent to the WR depth chart. Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports that DJ Chark returned to practice Wednesday, meaning the team opened the wideout’s 21-day activation window.

Chark caught on with the Chargers this offseason and was expected to help soak up the snaps left by Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. However, the veteran suffered a hip injury prior to Week 1 that ultimately landed him on injured reserve. Chark required more than a minimum stay on IR, but it sounds like he’s now zeroing in on a return to the field.

The former second-round pick had a breakout sophomore campaign with the Jaguars, hauling in 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was unable to stay completely healthy in his two follow-up seasons, including a 2021 campaign where he was limited to four games thanks to an ankle injury.

Chark has bounced around the NFL in recent seasons. He spent the 2022 season with the Lions, where he collected 502 receiving yards in 11 games. He managed to get into 15 games with the Panthers in 2023, but he was limited to only 35 receiving yards per game, his lowest average since his rookie year.

In Los Angeles, Chark was initially expected to start alongside Josh Palmer in Jim Harbaugh‘s new-look offense. With the veteran out of the lineup, rookie second-round pick Ladd McConkey and 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston have stepped up, with the young duo leading the Chargers in targets. Chark may have an uphill battle to break the starting lineup, but he could slide in ahead of the likes of Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko and rookie Brenden Rice.