The Jaguars can’t afford to lose D.J. Chark next offseason

Jacksonville has had one constant on offense the past two seasons, despite the revolving door at quarterback: the play of fourth-year wideout D.J. Chark. After a disappointing rookie year in which he made just 14 catches for 174 yards, the former second-round pick out of LSU had a breakout sophomore season.

He registered just over 1,000 yards receiving with eight touchdowns as the favorite target of rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew. Injuries to Minshew in 2020 hurt Chark’s production in Year 3, but he still finished with 706 yards and five touchdowns.

But heading into 2021, he could potentially be looking at his last season in a Jaguars uniform. Chark’s rookie contract is set to expire following the season, and reaching an extension on the star receiver will be a top priority for Jacksonville during the season.

Unsurprisingly, according to Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, Chark is the pending free agent the Jags can’t afford to lose.

This could change if promising 2020 second-round wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. can continue to flourish for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but you still need several strong receiving options for young quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

So again, we’re looking at a 2018 second-rounder in wideout DJ Chark Jr., who put up more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore in 2019. His numbers dipped as he was hampered by injuries in 2020, and he is now entering the final year of his rookie deal.

It’ll be fun to see what Shenault and Chark can do with a talent like Lawrence under center. The Jags owe it to Lawrence to make sure both are around for several seasons to come.

How productive Shenault is this season will certainly play a role in how desperate the team is to bring back Chark. The second-year player impressed in organized team activities and is expected to have a breakout Year 2, much like Chark did.

However, even if Shenault is able to improve on his 600 yards from a year ago, he’s a very different player than Chark, who has three inches on him. Jacksonville needs more than one quality receiver, and bringing Chark back should be a no-brainer.

An extension may not come cheap. It’s a contract year for him, and with the offense expected to take a leap forward, he could increase his value fairly significantly this season. But regardless, with a young quarterback who needs weapons, there’s no excuse to not give Chark a long-term deal.