Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Dealing with new injuries
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Palmer (elbow/calf) didn't practice Wednesday.
Palmer is listed with a new pair of injuries after being questionable last week due to a problem with his knee. He ended up playing in Sunday's 25-3 win over the Panthers, catching both of his targets for 19 yards while playing only 41 percent of snap on offense. It's possible his role will be scaled back again if he ends up playing this Sunday at Pittsburgh.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Minimal production against Panthers
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Palmer caught both of his targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 26-3 win over the Panthers.
Through two weeks, Palmer has recorded just four catches for 34 yards. The veteran wideout has yet to establish himself as the Chargers' top option in the passing game, while teammates Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey have earned more attention for their roles in the offense. Nonetheless, Palmer will look to take a step forward in Week 3 when the Chargers visit the Steelers.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Suiting up Sunday
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Palmer (knee) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Panthers.
After logging two limited practices, Palmer finished the week with a 'DNP' on Friday and headed into the weekend listed as questionable. With his availability Sunday versus Carolina confirmed, Palmer should continue to see his share of snaps and targets alongside fellow WRs Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston in the absence of any limitations or setbacks. Prior to being ejected late in the fourth quarter of the Chargers' Week 1 win over the Raiders, Palmer logged an 81percent snap share on offense en route to recording a 2/15/0 receiving line on four targets.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Likely to play Sunday
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Palmer (knee), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, is "tracking to play," a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Palmer failed to complete a full practice this week, turning in a pair of limited sessions Wednesday and Thursday before sitting out Friday's session entirely. His absence Friday apparently wasn't the result of a setback and might have been precautionary more than anything, so Palmer is expected to be cleared to play when the Chargers release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Even if Palmer suits up as anticipated, he might have his snaps managed to some degree.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Fails to practice, listed questionable
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Palmer (knee) didn't practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers.
Palmer downgraded to no participation Friday after two limited practices to begin the week, so he may be trending in the wrong direction. If Palmer joins DJ Chark (hip) on the sideline Sunday, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey would be joined by Derius Davis, Simi Fehoko or Brenden Rice in three-receiver sets.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Questionable for Week 2
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Palmer (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers.
Palmer was limited in practice throughout the week. He's coming off a disappointing season opener in which Palmer had just two catches for 15 yards before being ejected in the fourth quarter after getting into a fight with Raiders defensive back Jack Jones. On the bright side, Palmer doesn't appear to be facing any supplemental discipline from the team for his ejection.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Remains limited at practice
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Palmer (knee) remained limited at practice Thursday.
Palmer was also limited Wednesday, but so far there's nothing to suggest that he's in much danger of missing Sunday's game against the Panthers. That said, the wideout will presumably need to practice fully Friday in order to avoid a Week 2 injury designation.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Only two targets in opener
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Palmer caught two of four targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 22-10 win over the Raiders.
Palmer at least had the aura of a No. 1 target as the Raiders seemed to deliberately take away the fourth-year wide receiver during the few times Justin Herbert dropped back to pass in the first half. Both Ladd McConkey (seven) and Quentin Johnston (five) drew more targets than Palmer, but both had schemed looks scattered in throughout a game that saw the teams combine for nearly 50 rushing attempts. A Week 2 matchup against a Panthers defense that allowed 47 points in the season opener could reveal more information on the target hierarchy in 2024.
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Chargers' Josh Palmer: Sleeper WRs
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There's a lot of hype around Palmer this season, and he's become a popular sleeper given his expected role in the Chargers' offense with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone. For Week 1, Palmer is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues, and hopefully, he can have success against the Raiders like he has the past three times he's faced them. Over that span, Palmer has 14 catches for 250 yards and a touchdown on 27 targets, and he scored at least 13 PPR points in two of those outings. In Week 15 last year, Palmer had 21.3 PPR points without Allen and Williams on the field, which is a good sign for this week.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Pole position for top targets
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Palmer is in position to be the team's leader in targets this season, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
This statement by Popper underscores the relationship Palmer and Justin Herbert have, whereas the team's other top pass catchers are newcomers. Rookie second-round pick Ladd McConkey is most likely to challenge for a plethora of targets, but Palmer has been Herbert's fourth-most-targeted wideout in his young career -- a stat that matters significantly after the quarterback missed critical time in training camp due to a foot injury.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Likely not playing Saturday
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Palmer is not expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Seahawks, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
The team is likely to keep a number of its clear starters on the sideline to kick off the preseason. Expect to see plenty of Quentin Johnston and Brenden Rice as the young wide receivers look to continue improving in the exhibition contests.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Locked in with starters
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Palmer has been a regular presence on the first-team offense at training camp, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Palmer, Ladd McConkey and DJ Chark reportedly are dominating the wideout reps on the starting offense, leaving Quentin Johnston and others to work with the backups. Palmer averaged a career-high 58.1 receiving yards per game last season, including 70.6 yards per game from Week 3 onward, but a knee injury and concussion led to seven absences. After some hints of limited participation in the offseason program, Palmer seems to be back at 100 percent for training camp and is regularly catching passes from quarterback Justin Herbert. There's opportunity for the 2021 third-round pick to enjoy a fourth-year breakout, although he's probably looking at reduced team passing volume relative to prior years now that head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are running the show in Los Angeles.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Practicing after knee injury
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Palmer (knee) handled his most reps of the offseason during Tuesday's practice, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Palmer averaged a career-high 58.1 receiving yards per game last season, but he missed Weeks 9 through 14 with a knee sprain and then suffered another knee injury in the season finale. After spending part of the offseason rehabbing, Palmer has resumed practicing with teammates and is the safest bet to start at WR in a new-look Chargers offense under coordinator Greg Roman. The team moved on from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams (knee) this offseason before bringing in second-round pick Ladd McConkey and veteran DJ Chark. There's a breakout opportunity for Palmer in the final season of his rookie contract, if he can combine the volume he saw in 2022 (107 targets) with the big-play ability he flashed last year (15.3 yards per catch, career-high 11.2 aDOT). On the other hand, he's never been targeted on more than 18.1 percent of his routes in a season, even though Williams and Allen combined for only 39 appearances (out of a possible 68) the past two years.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Left atop depth chart
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Palmer (knee) and Quentin Johnston are the top wide receivers left on the Chargers after the team released Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen.
The other part of the equation is that the Chargers own the fifth overall pick in a draft with three elite WR prospects. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll end up with Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, but it'll certainly be a common prediction in mock drafts over the next six weeks. Palmer averaged a career-high 58.1 receiving yards per game in 2023, his third NFL season, albeit while missing six games with a knee injury and a seventh with a concussion. He then hurt his knee in the regular-season finale, but there hasn't been any follow up suggesting it was a serious injury. Palmer now enters the final year of his rookie contract under a new head coach (Jim Harbaugh) and offensive coordinator (Greg Roman), with those hirings and the team's offseason moves hinting at a more run-oriented offense in 2023. That could still work out well for Palmer in fantasy terms given the likelihood of reduced competition for targets relative to his first three seasons.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Season marred by injuries
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Palmer, who left Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Chiefs early with a knee injury, tallied 38 receptions for 581 receiving yards and two touchdowns across 10 games during the 2023 season.
When Palmer was healthy, the third-year receiver seamlessly stepped up in the absence of Mike Williams (knee) and established himself quickly as a reliable target opposite Keenan Allen for quarterback Justin Herbert. The 24-year-old had at least seven targets in four straight games prior to leaving the Week 8 contest against the Bears due to a knee sprain that drew an injured-reserve stint. With cap woes possibly impacting the return of both Allen and Williams, Palmer could see a significant role in 2024 alongside first-round pick Quentin Johnston in an offense that figures to see major changes from a coaching perspective.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Hurts knee in Week 18
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Palmer exited Sunday's season finale against the Chiefs with a knee injury.
Prior to his departure from the contest, Palmer caught six of his 10 targets for 44 yards. With Keenan Allen (heel) already out, the Chargers' available wide receivers in Palmer's absence are Quentin Johnston, Alex Erickson, Keelan Doss and Derius Davis.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Cleared to play Week 18
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Palmer has cleared concussion protocol and will play Sunday against the Chiefs, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Palmer's absence due to a concussion was limited to one game. He was a limited participant in all three of the Chargers' practices during the week, but that was enough to gain clearance for the season finale. With Keenan Allen (heel) ruled out, Palmer will be one of the top targets for Easton Stick against a Kansas City secondary that could be resting some of its top players.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Won't play against Broncos
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Palmer (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Broncos, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
With both Palmer and Keenan Allen (heel) unavailable, rookie Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton and Alex Erickson are expected to work as the top wideouts for quarterback Easton Stick in the Chargers' depleted passing attack. If Palmer's able to clear concussion protocol, he'll have one more chance to play Week 18 against the Chiefs before Los Angeles' season comes to an end.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: Not practicing Thursday
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Palmer (concussion) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Palmer also missed Wednesday's session and now has one more chance to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Broncos. The same goes for fellow wideout Keenan Allen (heel), who along with Palmer was spotted doing some agility work and running off to the side with trainers Thursday. If neither receiver is cleared to play Week 17, the Chargers would be left with Quentin Johnston, Alex Erickson and Jalen Guyton as their presumptive top three wideouts.
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Chargers' Joshua Palmer: In concussion protocol
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Palmer didn't practice Wednesday due to a concussion.
Palmer played 61 offensive snaps and logged five catches on eight targets for 47 yards in this past Saturday's 24-22 loss to the Bills, but he was placed in the NFL's concussion protocol at some point after the game, according to Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times. The Chargers were also without Keenan Allen (heel) at Wednesday's practice, so for the time being, Quentin Johnston, Alex Erickson and Jalen Guyton are the Chargers' top healthy receivers as Sunday's game in Denver approaches.
