Los Angeles Chargers: Is Josh Palmer the team's most underrated offensive weapon?

Is it possible the Los Angeles Chargers are waiting for the answer to their wide receiver woes over the past three seasons? According to NFL.com associate editor Gennaro Filice, Josh Palmer could very well be the Chargers' next great outside receiver, naming him the Chargers' most underrated player.

The case of Josh Palmer

“After taking over a team short of caps in January, Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz decided to create financial flexibility by emptying the receiver room, Filice writes: “In the absence of Keenan Allen And Mike Williamswhich will appear as Justin Herbertis the downstream target?

“Last year's first round pick, Quentin Johnston, left a lot to be desired in the first year. This year's second-round pick, Ladd McConkey, seems to do most of his work from the slot. So when the Bolts quarterback wants to go wild, who will test the defense on the perimeter? It seems like a lot of people are forgetting about Palmer, perhaps because of his injury-riddled 2023 campaign. The fourth-year pro already has a good rapport with Herbert — as we've seen in a couple of 100-yard outings over the past two seasons — and he has the most complete, refined game in this receiving corps .

Palmer missed a total of seven games last season, six of which were due to a knee injury that landed him on IR. But it provides an example of the chemistry he has with Herbert and that Filice describes. Palmer was targeted 60 times in the 10 games he played, compared to the 65 Johnston had in his 17 games.

To see Palmer's game at its best, just look back to 2022. He was Herbert's favorite wide receiver (Williams played in 13 games and Allen in 10). He finished the year with the second-most receiving yards on the team and tied for the most receiving first downs on the team.

Palmer's contract year with the Los Angeles Chargers

Palmer has emerged seamlessly from the long shadows cast when Allen and/or Williams were injured. And now that both are firmly rostered, Palmer has a chance to make his case for a starting role. This coincides well with the end of his rookie contract, which will expire after this season. Palmer enters this offseason with the edge of having developed the aforementioned rapport with Herbert, the importance of which cannot be overstated, especially with the lack of experience of the rest of the receivers.