3 Chargers whose starting spots are in jeopardy after free agency

No. 2: Donald Parham Jr., Tight End

In his second season, Parham never pushed too heavily on veteran Jared Cook for tight end No. 1 reps, nonetheless, he still was very much in the conversation as his potential successor. That was until a terrifying head injury in week 15 against the Chiefs.

Prior to that scary incident, the 6-foot-8 tight end had been making a steady amount of plays for the Bolts as Justin Herbert’s big man in the post. Matching his three touchdowns from his rookie year in 2020, Parham notched three more scores in 2021. Also, Parham started nine games last season, an improvement from his five starts in 2020. A nice complementary piece, the Stetson product was looking like he would take more of an active role in the offense in 2022 until his injury setback. 

With Parham’s injury still looming large, the Chargers opted to bring in some outside help and sign free agent Gerald Everett, a former Ram and Seahawk. Everett, who will be 28 by the start of the regular season, has had a solid career as a tight end in the pros with last season being his most productive.

During the 2021 campaign in Seattle, his only year with the Seahawks, the South Alabama product notched career-highs in receiving yards (478), receptions (48) and scores (four). Perhaps the Bolts will be able to use the duo in a complementary fashion once Parham is 100 percent again.