NFL Rumors: Panthers FA DJ Chark to Sign 1-Year Contract with Jim Harbaugh, Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers and free agent wide receiver DJ Chark have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The 27-year-old spent last season with the Carolina Panthers, catching 35 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.

The six-year veteran spent his first four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before signing a deal with the Detroit Lions in free agency for 2022. He then left Detroit for Carolina the following year.

Chark's best season occurred in 2019, when he amassed 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns en route to Pro Bowl honors.

The 6'3", 200-pound Chark has offered a big target to quarterbacks wherever he's gone. Unfortunately, his career has been beset by injuries, including a fractured ankle that forced him to miss nearly all of the 2021 season with the Jags. Soreness in that ankle led to Chark missing nearly two months in 2022 with the Lions.

Chark is good at making big plays downfield, averaging 14.5 yards per reception for his career. He's not as good at creating separation, though.

Still, Chark joins a Chargers team that needs help in the wideout room, especially with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams no longer in town. On paper, the top three appear to be Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnson the outside and rookie Ladd McConkey in the slot. Chark would probably be the next man up on the outside.

Los Angeles is entering a new era with head coach Jim Harbaugh taking the sideline reins and longtime Baltimore Ravens front office executive Joe Hortiz now calling the shots as general manager. The Chargers didn't make a ton of splashy moves but cleared a lot of cap space this offseason in anticipation for bigger transactions down the road.

L.A. has retooled the offense a bit, adding former Ravens running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins to the mix. Now Chark is aboard as the Chargers look to bounce back from a 5-12 season.