The Detroit Lions have been hard at work retooling their roster after they missed out on the playoffs entirely in 2025. While the Lions have a solid core group, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, finding a way to round out the rest of the roster remains the front office’s primary objective moving forward.
Detroit is obviously keeping tabs on every player in the league, but guys who have formerly played for them obviously get a little more attention. With that in mind, you can bet that the Lions took note of a major announcement that one of their former wide receivers, DJ Chark, made on Friday night.
DJ Chark Announces Retirement from NFL
Chark was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is where he spent the first four seasons of his career. After a quiet rookie campaign, Chark exploded in 2019, as he racked up 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which were career highs. Those big numbers earned Chark the first and only Pro Bowl selection of his career.
After suffering a season-ending injury in Week 4 of the 2021 campaign, Chark hit free agency, which is where he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Lions. Chark suited up in 11 games, catching 30 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns, but that wound up being his only season with Detroit, as he signed with the Carolina Panthers for the 2023 campaign.
Chark was productive for them in 2023 (35 REC, 525 YDS, 5 TD), but after a rough year with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, he didn’t play at all in 2025. After going several months without finding a new home, Chark has decided to call it a career, and he made the news official on Friday night.
“After much contemplation, I have decided to share a proper farewell as I navigate retirement,” Chark wrote as part of his statement in a post on Instagram. “The possibilities ahead are endless, and that excites me. I am grateful for all my teammates, fans, and every organization I have had the privilege to play for. All glory goes to God, I am forever thankful.”
Could Lions Have Taken a Flier on DJ Chark?
GettyFormer Lions wide receiver DJ Chark announced his retirement from the NFL
Injuries hampered Chark throughout his career, but as recently as the 2023 campaign, he was still a productive player for the Panthers. It’s fair to wonder if the Lions, or any team for that matter, could have used Chark, as he’s still only 29 years old and has a decent amount of upside if he can stay on the field.
With Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams leading the way, though, Detroit is pretty well-stocked at wide receiver for the time being. Truthfully, the Lions could benefit greatly from making some additions on the defensive side of the ball in an effort to support one of the most explosive offenses in the league. As a result, it will be worth keeping tabs on the front office to see what improvements it can make in this area before 2026 arrives.
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