When Keenan Allen went down with a hamstring injury for the Los Angeles Chargers in the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chargers knew they had a receiving corps deep enough to make up for the loss of such a prominent passing game threat.
One of those is second-year receiver Joshua Palmer, who had a breakout end to his rookie campaign with the Chargers, finishing the year with 353 yards and 33 receptions for four touchdowns in 17 games, tallying three of those touchdowns in the final five games of the season.
This season, Palmer has recorded 17 receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown in five games for the Chargers as they have amassed a 3-2 record going up against a Broncos defence in Monday Night Football that has allowed 4.7 yards per play and sit at 2-3.
In Week 6 with Allen still out, Palmer looks to continue to make an impact in his second year in the league after being drafted as a third-rounder out of SEC powerhouse Tennessee in the 2021 NFL Draft.
“I know it sounds cliché, but I treated my senior year in college as if I was a rookie in the NFL, so I wasn’t surprised if anything happened,” said Palmer.
“When I got there, I just associated myself with a bunch of good guys on the team, obviously Keenan has been one of my mentors and helps me almost every day really, we’re always talking about something, I’m definitely blessed to be where I am right now, and I look forward to the future.”
In 47 games at Tennessee, the Brampton Ont., native caught 99 passes for 1,514 for seven touchdowns, and led the Vols as a senior in receiving yards, catches and receiving touchdowns which caught the attention of the Chargers as they selected him 77th overall.
It appears their selection has paid off as he found momentum as a rookie at the end of last season, despite the Chargers missing the playoffs, they found a dedicated receiver who wants to work on the success of the team.
With his head down and attitude directed towards trying to be a pillar on a solid Chargers team that has the potential to be a playoff threat, Palmer is motivated to work even harder in his second year on the team.
“I’ve never heard the sophomore slump stuff, I don’t really take a lot of what people say outside the locker room or outside the facility… I just keep myself down to earth,” said Palmer.
“I’m human, I make mistakes, but obviously I try not to make more, I try to do more than less, just being around like-minded guys that help me succeed I leave my ego at the door and come in expecting to learn every day.”
The “like-minded” guys around Palmer are the likes of Allen, superstar quarterback Justin Herbert, fellow star receiver Mike Williams and elite running back Austin Ekeler, to name a few.
Los Angeles has produced 1,456 passing yards this season, 7.4 per attempt, and 10 of the teams 14 touchdowns this season has come through the air, with Palmer catching one while Williams and tight end Gerald Everett have each nabbed two.
With Herbert tallying at least 228 yards per game this season and having the likes of Palmer and Williams on the receiving end of his dimes, the Chargers look like a team that can get back on track with back-to-back wins over Denver and Seattle before recharging on their bye week.
“Their talent is through the roof, but what’s even better is their work ethic. A lot of these guys work extremely hard, they don’t just use a lot of talent, and that’s really refreshing to see, it makes me go and work even harder because I know those guys are working just as hard,” said Palmer.
“When we all work together in that way, we’re not really expecting people to come in and just expect it to work out. No, we all bring it by coming to work hard and it’s really exciting to come to work every day.”
Even as a second-year receiver with two of the league’s top talents guiding him, Palmer has made it clear that his team's goals will always take precedence over his individual goals.
After missing the playoffs, being able to be a part of the squad and help the team get back is one, but being a positive part of a talented team is also of utmost importance.
“My goals that I want to accomplish honestly is just wanting to help the team because I can – I do have individual goals but I keep them to myself because my goal is to help the team in any capacity that I can,” said Palmer.
“I have to play my role as receiver, so I’m always going to prepare for that, but overall I have a huge role to play as part of the team.”
With the first half of the season almost over, the Chargers only have two losses on their record, with one coming after a rib injury dealt to Herbert, but winning is only part of what drives Palmer to be better as an athlete and teammate.
Canadian roots have led him to the big leagues alongside the likes of receivers N’Keal Harry, Chase Claypool and childhood friend John Metchie, Palmer not only wants to achieve his goals for himself and his team, but as a mentor for other Canadians in the league as well.
“It’s an honour, I never really had somebody to look up to or declare myself to be like coming out of Canada, so I know a lot of guys younger than me will have me,” said Palmer.
“John Metchie and I grew up together, so seeing him come after me makes me smile. In the future, I hope to see a lot more guys from my hometown, and just from the country in general. But for me to be in that position, I’m honoured and I’m always gonna prove everybody, the believers, right.”
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.