Jacksonville has several difficult decisions to make this offseason, but perhaps at the top of that list is the one regarding receiver D.J. Chark, who is set to enter his fifth year. Chark had a slow start as a rookie, but he burst onto the scene his sophomore season in 2019 with a 1,000-yard season.
But his production dropped off in 2020 with struggles at the quarterback position, and a broken ankle four games into the 2021 season ended his year. Now, Chark’s rookie contract is expiring, and the Jags have to make a call.
This team is certainly not in a position to move on from promising receivers, and the play of the group without Chark on the field was perhaps the best argument for keeping him around. But re-signing him won’t be cheap, and it would likely be a deal where the value exceeds his production to this point in his career.
If the Jaguars want to push the decision back another year, they could franchise tag Chark, which they have the capital to do. But that would be an expensive option, and the $18.5 million salary projected for tagged receivers by Spotrac would likely be more expensive than any long-term extension he could sign.
But even if the Jags choose to extend him, they could go in a few different directions. Considering his selling point is mostly the upside demonstrated by his 2019 season, he likely won’t be among the hottest free agent commodities this offseason. While they could give him a long-term, expensive deal, they could likely also do a smaller, one or two-year “prove-it” contract.
Per Spotrac, a market-value contract for Chark would be a four-year deal averaging $11.9 million each season. Considering the Jags have among the most cap space yet again this offseason, that’s a deal they could certainly afford, especially if it will aid in the development of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. There are certainly questions about Chark, but those questions could keep Chark from testing free agency if he’s able to get that offer sheet.
What do you think, Jags fans? Should the team let Chark test the open market? Should it franchise tag him? Or should the team look to give him an extension, whether that be short or long-term? Let us know in the poll down below.
