We have our first outside signing for the Detroit Lions of the 2022 NFL free agency period. The Lions have agreed to sign wide receiver D.J. Chark, formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the news.
It’s a one-year deal worth up to $12 million for Chark, who is trying to rebound from an injury-ravaged season that saw him catch just seven passes in four games for the Jaguars. The 25-year-old Chark was a Pro Bowler in the 2019 season, catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight TDs.
Chark is primarily an outside receiver with field-stretching speed. At 6-foot-3, he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash and posted a vertical leap of 40 inches during the 2018 NFL scouting combine. It’s exactly the type of weapon new Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson desired when he spoke to reporters at the combine this year. Injuries have been an issue; Chark has played in just 17 games in the last two seasons.
