After playing for four teams over the past five seasons, former Pro Bowl receiver DJ Chark is contemplating retirement instead of playing for yet another squad in 2025.
Chark, who will turn 29 in September, recently acknowledged that retirement is indeed an option if the right opportunity doesn’t present itself. He attributed the challenges associated with moving his family again as the main reason why he could decide to hang up his cleats after seven NFL seasons.
“It will have to be something that makes sense, from a family perspective and also from an Xs and Os perspective,” Chark recently told SportsCasting’s Kyle Odegard. “Getting up and going to any team just for the excitement — I’ll always love the game, but at this point, putting myself and my family in a great position is what’s ideal for me.”
A Louisiana native, Chark said that the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans or New Orleans Saints would be ideal teams for him from a geographical standpoint. The Cowboys, though, are currently pretty stocked at receiver. The Texans still dealing with Tank Dell‘s injury, but they recently replenished its receiving corps in the draft via Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. The Saints appear to be the most viable option of the three teams as they could use some depth behind starters Chris Olave (who missed nine games while year after suffering multiple head injuries), Brandin Cooks and Rashid Shaheed.
“It would definitely be more attractive in the sense of not having to move my family really far,” Chark said about the possibility of playing for those teams. “There are a lot of people that can go and leave their family for the six months. Go play on a team, come back. I’m aware enough to know that’s not me. I couldn’t do it.
“It would definitely be more beneficial to be closer, to be around family so we have help. With the kids being 4 and 2, it takes a village. We’ve been pretty much isolated and doing it on our own. Being back home and having family help has been tremendous for us.”
The 61st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Chark was named to the Pro Bowl after eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards in 2019 as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. But he never reached that level of success again during his NFL career.
Chark had a solid 2020 campaign, but several injuries limited him to just four games in 2021. He signed with the Detroit Lions in 2022, and despite putting up decent numbers (he caught 30 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns), he continued to deal with injuries and was not re-signed during the following offseason. Chark then signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, were he also was not re-signed after one year despite catching five touchdowns and averaging 15 yards per catch.
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Injuries continued to plague Chark during his most recent NFL stop, which was last season as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. Hampered by an injured hip, Chark didn’t make his season debut until Nov. 2. While the season was largely a bust, Chark did catch a touchdown pass during the team’s Week 18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
While he is no longer a No. 1 option, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Chark can still provide value to an NFL as a red zone threat while providing quality depth. Health, however, and geographical location are the two biggest question marks regarding Chark at this stage of his career.
While his first choice would be to continue playing, Chark said he is appreciative of the career he has had so far.
“When I came into the league, I said I wanted to play until 30,” he said. “I’d be good not playing past 30. And I had a certain amount of money I said I wanted to achieve. I’ve achieved the monetary value, and the year, I’m pretty much (there). I’m about to be 29. So as far as the goals I set coming into the league, I’ll be there.
“Wherever it goes, however it goes, I’m cool with it. As far as a career, I’m excited and thankful for what I’ve been able to accomplish.”
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
July 17, 2025 | 1:26 pm
