Out with the old D.J., in with the new D.J.
The Carolina Panthers have agreed to a one-year deal with wide receiver D.J. Chark. This is by the far the splashiest move the Panthers have made in free agency as Chark brings the most star potential of any of their additions. While he’ll never replace D.J. Moore in our hearts, he is the odds on favorite to replace his production on the field in 2023.
The speedster out of LSU was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He played out his rookie contract with a struggling Jaguars team and left the team in 2022 tied for seventh place in the Jacksonville record books for most touchdowns scored.
He signed with the Detroit Lions in 2022 but had a disappointing season as his second consecutive year was derailed by an ankle injury.
Chark was one of the highest upside wide receivers in free agency this year, with the only real question between him and a thousand-yard season being his health. That he chose to come play for Frank Reich over returning to the Lions or joining an apparently ascendant Chicago Bears team says a lot about the staff being built here.
We’ll update this story with contract numbers when they become available.