Injury-riddled Jaguars sign free-agent RB Jamaal Charles

2:39 PM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars, plagued by injuries at the running back position, have signed free agent Jamaal Charles to a one-year deal, the team announced Tuesday.

The move comes after No. 3 running back Corey Grant was placed on injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury in his left foot. Grant had been pressed into playing time with regular starter Leonard Fournette out indefinitely with a right hamstring injury and No. 2 back T.J. Yeldon playing with a nagging ankle injury.

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  Injuries are piling up on offense for Jacksonville, which will lean heavily on its No. 2 running back as it tries to keep pace in the AFC.

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  The Jaguars' QB struggled against the NFL's 31st-ranked pass defense, throwing three first-half interceptions that helped put his team in a 20-0 hole.

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The 31-year-old Charles had been waiting for the right opportunity to sign with a contender, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 2017 season didn't work out for Charles like he or the Denver Broncos had hoped. In May 2017, the Broncos signed Charles to a one-year deal after he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs because they believed his knees would hold up in a situational role in long-yardage situations.

By season's end, Charles was an afterthought in the Broncos' offense, with just four carries over the final four games. He was a healthy gameday inactive in the final two games of the season. Charles finished the season with 69 carries for 296 yards.

Charles publicly expressed his frustration late in the season when he said the Broncos should release him if he wasn't going to play more. At the time, Broncos coach Vance Joseph said simply "that had not been a thought for us."

In nine seasons with the Chiefs, in which he was selected for four Pro Bowls, Charles had scored 63 total touchdowns in 103 games. He had four 1,100-yard rushing seasons with the Chiefs as well as four seasons with at least 40 receptions.

He tore his right ACL in October 2015 -- the second such tear of his career after tearing the left one in 2011 -- and had multiple knee surgeries in 2016. Charles was adamant throughout last season that he can be a regular contributor, despite his past knee troubles.

He has a career average of 5.4 yards per carry.

ESPN's Michael DiRocco and Jeff Legwold contributed to this report.

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