Why DJ Chark is due for a resurgent season with the Chargers

Do you remember when DJ Chark suddenly emerged as a potential star at WR for the Jacksonville Jaguars? Understandable if not because it was in 2019, undoubtedly the best season of his six-year career.  But the veteran pass catcher is now a Charger, and with that will come a resurgent season.

The Bolts receiving corps was decimated this offseason when its top two weapons departed. The sturdy-handed, route-running wizard Keenan Allen will now catch passes from Caleb Williams after being traded to the Chicago Bears, while deep threat Mike Williams took his talents to the Meadowlands by signing with the New York Jets.

Those departures left the Chargers with a young talent crop with minimal NFL experience. Chark immediately becomes the Chargers' most seasoned receiver upon his arrival, boosting his chances of a rebound in 2024.

DJ Chark's opportunity to revive his career with the Chargers

Chark looked like a potential emerging star in 2019 when he caught 73 passes for 1,008 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. What makes that even more impressive was he did that with Gardner Minshew III and Nick Foles throwing him the ball, a pair mediocre quarterbacks at best.

Since then, Charked has racked up a combined 125 receptions for 1,887 receiving yard and 15 touchdown catches over a four-season stretch with the Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Carolina Panthers. Needless to say, it has been a lackluster run for Chark since his one-year rise in 2019.

But the former LSU Tiger has the perfect opportunity to resurrect his career with the Chargers. First and foremost, he has the level of experience that the rest of the Chargers pass catchers do not have. His six seasons of NFL play will be a valuable addition to a young receiving room. 

And a recent projection from Daniel Popper of The Athletic suggests Chark is poised to be a starter, assuming the role as the Chargers X receiver.

"To start, I think the three receivers in 11 personnel packages will be Joshua Palmer, Ladd McConkey, and DJ Chark. Those three have a logical synergy in terms of skills. McConkey was mostly playing in the slot during the spring. Palmer can play inside and outside. Chark fits as a true X, with his size, speed, and contested-catch ability"

While this development is a discouraging proposition for Quentin Johnston, it shows the Chargers coaching staff is prioritizing experience over fixing a project. That mindset from the coaching staff is great news for quarterback Justin Herbert.

The Justin Herbert Effect

An exciting proposition for Chark is catching passes from the uber-talented Herbert. Along with the aforementioned Foles and Minshew, the veteran receiver has played with a mundane QB group of Mike Glennon, a Jared Goff who was still figuring out the Detroit Lions offense, and a struggling rookie in Bryce Young last season.

The Chargers' star Quarterback immediately becomes the best passer Chark will have ever played with. Herbert’s ability to make every throw in the book should work wonders with Chark’s ability to accelerate and stretch the field. 

Does all of this mean Chark will emerge as the WR1? Not necessarily. But he is the seasoned vet of this receiver room, and working with both Herbert and Harbaugh should unlock the talent fans witnessed in 2019. So is a 1,000-yard season out of the question? Absolutely not.

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