Even after the LA Chargers addressed the wide receiver position in the 2024 NFL Draft with three new additions to the fold, it would behoove Joe Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh to get one more veteran deep threat who could help get the most out of Justin Herbert's rocket arm.
The Chargers identified the best fit for the job in DJ Chark, who is coming off a disappointing season with the Carolina Panthers. Intrigued by the 27-year-old veteran's combination of size and speed, the Chargers threw him a bone and helped give him a chance to get his career back on track.
Chark signed a one-year deal woith the Chargers worth up to $5 million. Chark's deal with LA has seemingly been in the works for some time, as he visited with Los Angeles before the draft. Injuries slowed him down in Jacksonville and Detroit, but a healthy Chark can still be a weapon if used correctly.
Sources: Former #Panthers WR and current FA DJ Chark has agreed to terms with the #Chargers on a 1-year deal worth up to $5M. A new landing spot for Chark, who visited with LAC before the Draft. pic.twitter.com/5a8MQ4cWDd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 3, 2024
LA Chargers sign DJ Chark to one-year deal
Chark caught 35 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns last season. This year will prove if Chark's regression in Carolina was due to his own poor play or the lack of structure around him making it too difficult for any wide receiver to have gaudy numbers.
Former first-round pick Quentin Johnston and 2024 second-rounder Ladd McConkey figure to have enhanced roles during the upcoming campaign, and veteran Joshua Palmer is also handing around. Chark will likely start as the No. 4 wide receiver over seventh-rounders Brenden Rice and Cornelius Johnson.
While a role as the No. 4 pass-catcher in a Greg Roman offense that has said it will run the ball as much as they can in the upcoming season sounds very unattractive for a wide receiver, any wideout that makes speed and verticality a cornerstone of their style of play would love to play alongside Herbert's bazooka of an arm.
Expect Chark to get behind the defense for a handful of big plays in the 2024 season.