Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh informed reporters on Monday that wide receiver D.J. Chark will “be back soon” and is a “heck of a player.” Chark was placed on injured reserve before the 2024 regular season began due to a hip injury, which will keep him out for at least the first four games. With the Chargers having a bye in Week 5, Chark is eligible to return on October 13 when they face the Denver Broncos.
Chark joined the Chargers in May after a season with the Carolina Panthers, where he caught 35 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns. He also has experience with the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars. When he returns, he is expected to start. His absence has forced the Chargers to depend on a less experienced receiving corps, with Chark being the only receiver on the team to have surpassed 1,000 yards in a season. In Week 1, rookie Ladd McConkey led the team in receiving with five catches for 39 yards and his first career touchdown. In Week 2, Quentin Johnston topped the receiving stats with five receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite these contributions, the Chargers have leaned more on their dominant run game rather than their passing attack. Running back J.K. Dobbins has been pivotal to the Chargers’ offense. He exploded in the second half against the Raiders, finishing with 10 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown. The following week, he rushed 17 times for 131 yards and another touchdown. Dobbins made history as the first player in Chargers history to rush for over 100 yards in the first two games of the season, averaging nearly 10 yards per carry behind a physical offensive line that aligns with Harbaugh’s preferred style of play.