DJ Chark, Panthers Agree to Contract amid Stroud Rumors; WR Played for Lions in '22

DJ Chark Jr. is heading for his third different NFL team in as many years.

The Carolina Panthers announced Friday that they agreed to terms on a contract with the veteran wide receiver in free agency. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, it is a one-year deal.

Chark's signing comes in the wake of the Panthers packaging wide receiver D.J. Moore, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and several other draft picks in a trade with the Chicago Bears to move up to first overall.

It is widely assumed that Carolina will use the top pick to select its quarterback of the present and future, and Joseph Person of The Athletic reported this month that Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud is believed to be the Panthers' preferred target.

Chark spent his first four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before signing with the Detroit Lions last offseason. He had a tough year, battling with ankle issues that cost him six games. He ultimately caught 30 passes for 502 yards and three scores.

The 26-year-old sounded thrilled to make the jump from the Jags to the Lions before last season.

"I want to be around good people. These are good people," he told reporters after signing in Detroit. "It feels good to be wanted, I want to be where I'm wanted more than anything at the end of the day. Hats off to Jacksonville. My time there, everybody that I've met there and came across, I wish the best for them. But it's no longer about Jacksonville. It's about Detroit."

Chark showed major upside in Jacksonville during his 2019 sophomore campaign, putting up 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. But Chark has struggled to match that impact since, never reaching any of those statistical heights.

Despite recently signing another veteran wideout in Adam Thielen, the Panthers don't have a strong receiving corps, amid the many other questions they have on offense, so taking a flier on the LSU product and hoping he can live up to his potential made sense for them.

Chark, meanwhile, will have the chance to prove he can still be a productive player. He'll likely be among the top options in the passing game if he can stay healthy.