Just imagine the trauma one playoff loss can do to a player. After fighting all season for that playoff ticket, one loss and your whole season is a failure. Well, that’s what happened with Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers as they imploded against the Texans in their wildcard matchup on Saturday. So, what do you think? How should the Chargers deal with their embarrassing 32-12 loss? Now, whatever you are thinking, Chargers receiver DJ Clark has opted for herbs as his way of dealing with the setback.

Yeah, that’s right. Clark, who has been in and out of the season because of injuries, only caught 1 catch on 4 targets for 10 yards in Houston. And you know his measly contributions didn’t make any difference at all. The Chargers failed to do any damage to the Texans’ resolute defense. So, after the game, Clark decided to share a picture on Instagram of what that loss had forced him to do. The Chargers’ receiver was captured showing off his marijuana with a caption, “S/o my n—- bud…been a long 3 1/2 months.” 

Well, for Clark, this season was indeed the one he would like to forget moving forward. After playing all the games last season with the Panthers, Clark only managed to appear in 7 games for LA. And the numbers he pulled in those 7 outings were nothing short of embarrassing. His season ended on Saturday with him recording just 4 catches for 31 yards and only a single TD. He was nowhere near his 35 receptions for 525 receiving yards season in Carolina. But is marijuana the right option for a professional player to escape disappointment?

If he has chosen marijuana, then what will Justin Herbert pick to deal with his horrors after the Chargers’ early playoff exit? Herbert threw just 3 interceptions all season before entering the Texans game. But the Chargers QB just couldn’t connect his passes on Saturday as he threw 4 interceptions, including a pick-six to Texans safety Eric Murray. Well, we can’t say for sure whether Herbert has also chosen marijuana like his deflated receiver teammate or not.

However, what we can say is that the Chiefs TE Travis Kelce was right all along about players smoking marijuana during the season. Once, being suspended for smoking herbs in his college. Kelce is all too familiar with marijuana schemes.

Travis Kelce knows where smoking marijuana can land you in the world of football

Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, had to sit for a year because he tested positive in a marijuana test at his college. Yes, Kelce, who has seemingly shattered all records as a TE in the NFL, had trouble smoking herbs. His suspension from the University of Cincinnati for a season also hurt his chances of landing with the Cowboys before the Chiefs came calling. During a New Heights podcast episode with his brother Jason Kelce, Travis told how the Cowboys rejected him for his marijuana troubles, “At the combine. I had some bad interviews. The Dallas Cowboys, they were kind of pressing me about having this red flag of missing a year.” 

Now, we all know how that decision to question Kelce’s commitment to football turned out. Kelce is now a three-time Super Bowl Champion, while the Cowboys selected Gavin Escobar in 2013. Escobar only played 62 games in Dallas, while Kelce continues to shatter records in Kansas City. But here’s the thing: Kelce always knew that he wasn’t the only player smoking marijuana during the season.

Going back to 2023, the Chiefs TE told Vanity Fair how the league’s adjusted drug policy has helped players continue their habits without anyone finding out: “If you just stop in the middle of July, you’re fine. A lot of guys stop a week before and they still pass because everybody’s working out in the heat and sweating their tail off. Nobody’s really getting hit for it anymore.” Well, now it looks like Clark won’t be punished either. His season has already come to an end, with the Chargers entering the 2025 offseason from Sunday.