San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - The San Diego Chargers placed wide receiver Vincent Brown on injured reserve, but Brown will be eligible to return later in the season.

Last week, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to a rule that states that each team can place one player on injured reserve with a major injury and have the ability to activate the player later in the season. With the new rule change, the Chargers used their "designated to return" tag on Brown.

Brown broke his ankle on Aug. 18 and will miss eight weeks. The 23-year-old receiver caught 19 passes for 329 yards with two touchdowns in 14 games last season as a rookie and was expected to have an increased role after wide receiver Vincent Jackson left San Diego for Tampa Bay in free agency.

The Sports Network