DJ Chark followed his Bears visit with a Falcons meeting, and the latter summit will produce a deal. Chark is signing with the Falcons, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
After playing the 2024 season with the Chargers, the well-traveled wide receiver will join the Falcons on a one-year deal. Chark trekked to Atlanta for a meeting today, Garafolo notes. This will be the former second-round pick’s fifth team in five years, as the Falcons follow the Jaguars, Lions, Panthers and Chargers on this journeyman path.
Chark, 28, will join a receiving corps housing Drake London and Darnell Mooney. The LSU product had met with his former coach, Ben Johnson, about a Bears meeting. Johnson coached Chark during his 2022 Lions one-off, but the sides did not strike a deal. The Falcons will take a flier here, as Chark is coming off a down Chargers season. He posted just four receptions for 31 yards in a seven-game cameo for Jim Harbaugh‘s team.
Suffering a hip injury that keyed an IR stint, Chark did not debut with the Bolts until Week 9. He cleared the 10-snap barrier on offense in just four games last year. That said, Chark has been a productive player at other stops. His Lions and Panthers seasons, respectively, brought 500-plus-yard showings as a complementary target. Chark totaled 502 yards (16.7 per catch) and three touchdown receptions with Detroit and posted a 525/5 line (15.0 YPC) for a dreadful 2023 Panthers team.
Carrying a resume that includes a 1,000-yard 2019 season, Chark had been a noteworthy deep option prior to 2024. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound player had seen his pay rate decrease steadily, going from $10MM (Lions) to $5MM (Panthers) to $3MM (Bolts). After essentially a throwaway L.A. season, Chark should not see too much from the Falcons. But he could step in as a WR3 upgrade in what could be yet another temp job.
The Falcons signed Mooney for his long-range prowess, and he delivered a 992-yard season (15.5 YPC) last year. Held back by previous Falcons QB issues, London boomed to a career-high 1,271 yards and nine touchdown catches. The Falcons have slot/gadget cog Ray-Ray McCloud rostered, along with special-teamer Jamal Agnew and backup KhaDarel Hodge. Chark brings a pedigree this trio lacks and will be a prime candidate for a key auxiliary role should he stay healthy.
Not a bad signing…we need depth bad. Didn’t draft anyone of note and Mooney is injury prone. We have a bunch of WRs 4/5 but not a legit WR 3.
I was surprised he even went to Chicago. He wasn’t really a fit for them or him for that matter.
Ben was just helping a former player of his get his name out there
I like the depth. I love the trio of McCloud Mooney and Drake but this is solid signing imo
Good insurance, even if Chark slots better probably on the outside. Still, he’s a more proven option than some of the others, like braveshomer above said. I think McCloud’s spot is safer, since he does things that Chark and London don’t and that Mooney probably won’t be expected to do in his current role. Chark is probably primarily going to be insurance for Mooney first out of the three.
Agreed
Sorry, I edited it to add that last line. My bad.
Haha no worries