Panthers sign WR DJ Chark - Updated with contract details

Mar 26, 2023 - 2:11 PM

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.

Update

DJ Chark’s deal is reportedly for 5 million dollars, fully guaranteed, but with shenanigans.

Chark will be paid a $3.92M signing bonus and a salary of $1.08M. The four void years on the contract spread out the cap hit of that signing bonus such that his cap hit this season is only about $2.06M. Chark will then count $2.94M against the 2024 cap if he does not reach an extended contract agreement with the team before the first day of the 2024 league year.