Panthers Are 'Optimistic' Recent Procedure Will Turn DJ Chark Into a 'Good Story'

Is a big year coming for the new Panther receiver?

One DJ out, another DJ in. After the Panthers included DJ Moore in the trade to Chicago for the top pick in the draft, GM Scott Fitterer made a couple of additions to the receiver room in free agency with the signings of Adam Thielen and DJ Chark.

In 11 games with the Detroit Lions in 2022, Chark caught 30 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per catch. He fills Carolina's need for a vertical threat in the passing game, but he's going to be much more than that according to head coach Frank Reich.

"We're going to expand his role. We want to develop him into a complete receiver. Widen his route tree. It's not just going to be all vertical stuff down the field. We feel like we've got one of the best wide receiver coaches in the business in Shawn Jefferson and Shawn will do a good job working with those guys."

When it came to addressing the receiver room, Chark immediately became a name of interest.

"Make no mistake about it, I really wanted DJ. A lot of us did," said Reich. "I've had my eye on him for a couple years now. I think he's a very competitive, hard-working player from all of the intel that we've gathered. And if you look at his career even though there's been some injuries along the way, he's consistently producing over 14 yards a catch. That's not a mistake. You need that in your offense. You need those chunk plays and he's been a proven chunk-play guy."

The numbers may not jump off the page because he hasn't been a high-volume receiver, but a big reason for that stems from the number of ankle injuries that he's dealt with throughout his career. But the good news is, that may not be an issue moving forward.

"He's going through his process of rehab from the injury that he had and the procedure that he had done. And we're very optimistic that the procedure that he had done is going to be a good story," Reich said Tuesday. "That it's going to clean up the issue that he's been fighting for a couple years and really give him the best chance to stay on the field. I think he'll be ready for part of OTAs. The last time I talked with the docs, there's a chance he will get into the action. I can't remember the exact timetable."

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