The wide receiver position has been a point of scrutiny for the LA Chargers all season. Outside of Ladd McConkey, the Chargers do not have any wideouts who have emerged as consistent weapons for Justin Herbert in the passing game.
It has gotten to the point where the Chargers are relying on the likes of Jalen Reagor while Jim Harbaugh outright admits to the media that DJ Chark Jr. has not been good enough. Both in the short and the long-term, the Chargers need help at wide receiver.
Los Angeles added some short-term help on Thursday in another former Jacksonville Jaguar to pair with Chark. Former second-round pick Laviska Shenault Jr. has been signed to the Chargers practice squad after being waived by the Seattle Seahawks. Wideout Dez Fitzpatrick was released to make room on the practice squad.
Chargers take a flier on Laviska Shenault Jr. amid WR woes
You have to commend the Chargers for taking stabs in the market wherever they can. It is virtually impossible to add tangible wide receiver help at this point in the season but that is not going to keep the Chargers from trying.
Shenault is a well-known name as a former second-round pick and fantasy sleeper who never woke up. While he had some promising seasons with the Jaguars early in his career, that promise has not translated to any recent success.
Seattle mostly used Shenault was a special teams player in 2024. In his 11 games played with the Seahawks Shenault only logged 45 offensive snaps. In those snaps, he logged five catches for 36 yards.
Shenault was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2022 in a package for late-round draft picks. The former Jaguar recorded just 332 receiving yards in 21 games played with the Panthers. He has not caught a touchdown pass since the 2022 season.
Fans should not expect Shenault to come in and instantly have a huge impact on the Chargers' offense. This is the true definition of a practice squad flier and Shenault will need time to earn playing time in the offense over the other wideouts on the roster.
That being said, with special teams guru Simi Fehoko on the IR, Shenault could be a practice squad elevation over Chark simply because of his special teams impact. Other than that, though, it is hard to imagine Shenault having much of an impact in LA.