DJ Chark may leave the Detroit Lions for (literally) greener pastures in free agency, and he has now been matched with a top AFC team.
While there have been some indications of talks between the Detroit Lions and a couple of their internal free agents, it has been quieter on the DJ Chark front. Outside of general manager Brad Holmes saying there have been general discussions with everyone, anyway.
A thin free agent class of wide receivers leaves Chark as one of the top guys available. It’s also sure to drive his price tag up, and the Lions may simply not be willing to compete on that level. To a certain degree, they should draw a line in terms of years and money they won’t go wiggle too far from to keep him.
The list of suitors for Chark could be quite long, including Lions’ division rivals and other teams who need help at wide receiver. If he can get a nice deal on the open market, and his agent surely already has an idea if he can, any desire to come back to the Lions becomes secondary.
DJ Chark matched with a top AFC team as a free agent fit
Nick Shook of NFL.com has played matchmaker for each AFC team, with one free agent as a particular fit. Chark was of course matched with a team, but the one he was matched with by Shook is an eye-opener.
The Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs are another team that will need to massage their cap situation to create space for an addition, but after receiving a productive 2022 campaign from JuJu Smith-Schuster, who’s set to hit the market, Kansas City would benefit from adding another veteran receiver for 2023. Chark finished his 2022 season strong in Detroit and would add a big-play element to an offense that was already explosive, but could be even more dangerous with Chark in the fold. He won’t command a top-dollar deal, which makes this pairing more logical. Plus, who doesn’t want to chase a ring with Patrick Mahomes?
Despite possibly having a robust market for his services, and a few nice offers potentially put on the table then, Chark would surely consider taking a discount to play with Patrick Mahomes if the Chiefs have interest. As anyone would, truly.
It will be very interesting to see who surfaces as reported/rumored suitors for Chark. But the trend seems to be moving away from a return to the Lions, and the defending Super Bowl champions are an interesting possible entry into the fray.