Los Angeles Chargers place WR Joshua Palmer on injured reserve

The Los Angeles Chargers placed wide receiver Joshua Palmer on injured reserve on Sunday ahead of the team’s Week 9 matchup against the New York Jets. In a corresponding move for the Monday Night Football game, the Chargers filled Palmer’s spot on the active roster with former North Texas standout Jalen Guyton.

Palmer will have to spend at least four weeks on injured reserve before he’s eligible to make a return to the active roster. He suffered a knee injury in the team’s loss against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. Despite the injury, he still tried to play in Week 8 when Los Angeles faced the Chicago Bears.

Prior to his injury, Palmer was second on the Chargers in receiving yards. He has 23 receptions on 39 targets for 377 yards and one touchdown. His lone score came in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. It was the same week that the Chargers lost wide receiver Mike Williams to a torn ACL.

With Palmer out for at least four weeks, he’ll miss games against the Jets, Lions, Packers and Ravens. If he’s back shortly after his four weeks, then he could return for the Nov. 3 game against the Patriots.

Chargers’ WR room depleted

Although he suffered an injury, it initially seemed like Palmer might stick it out through the rest of the season. He posted on social media: “I could never quit on my guys. I must’ve missed the part that said stop if it hurts.”

The Chargers drafted Palmer with a third-round draft pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of Tennessee. He posted 353 yards as a rookie then broke out in Year 2 with 769 yards. The 24-year-old wideout has eight career scores through two and a half seasons.

With Williams and Palmer now out for the foreseeable future, the team will rely on younger talent to step up. Rookie first-rounder Quentin Johnston had career-highs last week with five catches and 50 yards.

“I think it’s a big opportunity for the whole group,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said on Palmer’s injury. “When I look at the guys that we’re going to have step up, it’s not going to just be the receiver position. It’s going to have to be the tight ends and the backs too.”

Jalen Guyton hasn’t appeared in a game for Los Angeles since he suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of the 2022 season. He had two catches for 64 yards at the time of his injury.