Chargers sign veteran WR Alex Erickson to practice squad

Alex Erickson joins the Chargers’ practice squad days after a five-catch, two-touchdown performance.

The Chargers continued adding bodies to their practice squad late this afternoon by picking up the New York Jets’ recent cast-off, Alex Erickson.

Erickson is a entering his 8th season, having played wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Washington Commanders, before signing with the New York Jets this offseason. He had a fairly quiet preseason until his final matchup against the New York Giants, where he snagged five catches on five targets for 38 yards and two touchdowns. Prior to Saturday’s game, he had only caught four catches on five targets for 47 yards and no touchdowns.

Nevertheless, his most recent performance clearly left an impression on Tom Telesco.

Erickson’s most productive season came in 2019 for the Bengals. He played in all 16 games, starting in six, and compiled a receiving line of 43 catches, 529 yards, and no touchdowns. In fact, touchdowns have been a bit of a rarity for Erickson in his career, having only reached paydirt once in the regular season in the six years he’s cracked onto the active roster.

Where Erickson ranks amongst the current practice squad receivers Terrell Bynum and Keelan Doss remains to be seen, but Charger fans should hope his biggest role this season will be tuning up our defensive backs for their weekly matchups.