Teams are allowed to start using the new “Designated to Return” injured reserve tag on Tuesday and the Chargers will be taking advantage of it.
The team will announce later Tuesday that they will place wide receiver Vincent Brown on injured reserve Tuesday with the designation in place that allows him to return after spending eight weeks on the list and at least six weeks away from practice. The team can activate Brown at any time after those eight weeks or they could just leave him on injured reserve if they don’t feel he’s recovered enough to return.
Brown broke his ankle in the Aug. 18 preseason game against the Cowboys and the word was it would take him about eight weeks to recover from the injury. That makes him a perfect candidate for the new designation and gives the Chargers the freedom to use the roster spot for a player that can help them until Brown is ready to return.
There was a lot of buzz about an increased role for Brown in the San Diego offense over the offseason, which makes the timing particularly bad for the 2011 third-round pick. He had 19 catches and two touchdowns as a rookie, numbers that were projected to rise after the Chargers moved on from a Vincent Jackson-dominated receiving corps.
