With tackle Cam Robinson being franchise tagged Tuesday, one of the biggest questions remaining is what will the Jacksonville Jaguars decide to do with receiver DJ Chark. If the team can’t come up with a deal with him by March 14 at noon EST, Chark’s agent could begin negotiating with other teams and eventually sign with them on March 16.
Right now, it’s unknown if he will remain a Jaguar, but the team does have the money to do so with almost $40 million available in cap space. However, the odds of him going to another team could be higher now, especially if he wants a change of scenery and is looking to join a franchise that’s been less dysfunctional.
However, there is still hope that the Jags could retain the former Louisiana State Tiger. They have a new coach in Doug Pederson, who already appears to be more respected than former coach Urban Meyer and the Jags also present an opportunity for Chark to grow with a quarterback who has great potential in Trevor Lawrence.
Chark’s first year with the Clemson product was unfortunately cut short after he sustained a broken ankle Week 4 that eventually placed him on the injured reserve. However, after putting in the work in terms of rehab, Chark is now back on the field.
On Tuesday he shared an Instagram story of him taking the field for a workout where he was running routes, and he wasn’t alone as Duval’s favorite blond-haired gunslinger was there, too.
Trev and Chark were putting in some work recently 👀. pic.twitter.com/7jR3VhMWOa
— Touchdown Jaguars! Podcast (@TDJaguarsPod) March 9, 2022
Who knows if this is an indication of Chark’s future, but it’s certainly a sign that could be viewed as a positive one. And if Chark is retained, it appears he’s ready to hit the ground running with Lawrence while learning Pederson’s new system.
Speaking of Pederson, just last week he expressed that he and the staff would like to retain Chark, who he believes could be a key contributor on offense.
“On offense, we mentioned Trevor [Lawrence], but when you take him away, you think about James Robinson, you think about Travis Etienne, you think about even, you know, hopefully, we get DJ Chark back,” Pederson said when speaking on players who stood out to him via 1010XL radio. “You think about some of these younger receivers that we do have and there is some skill and ability there that we are excited as a staff to get going with.
“We have some work to do, obviously. It’s not there yet and that is why we are here. We are evaluating, and we are going to add some talent, add some depth through free agency and the draft and, you know, that is the process and that is what helps you win.”
The Jags could use Chark’s speed on the outside for Pederson’s new offense, but they need to do it for a reasonable cost. He’s missed a total of 22 games since entering the league in 2018, which makes his contract situation a tricky one.
With free agency set to start next week, this weekend could provide us with an update of where Chark may end up. But based on his recent social media post, it seems that the door at least hasn’t been shut on a potential extension from Jacksonville.
