Freshly Released WR Could Be Vikings Answer
Depending on the eye of the beholder, the Minnesota Vikings may need an extra wide receiver.
A recently released WR can instantly become a potential fit for the Minnesota Vikings, sparking speculation about whether he could solve depth issues.
So when the Atlanta Falcons dropped veteran wideout DJ Chark on Monday, some 2.5 weeks before the start of the regular season, some were quick to suggest a fit with the purple team.
Chark will hit the open market and is free to sign anywhere in the league.
DJ Chark, in Theory, Enters the Chat for the Vikings
Chark would spark a veteran presence in Minnesota’s WR room.
Falcons Drop DJ Chark
It’s the end of the road for Chark in Atlanta.
AtlantaFalcons.com‘s Tarrin Waack delivered the news Monday: “The Atlanta Falcons signed quarterback Ben DiNucci, the team announced Monday. In turn, the Falcons released wide receiver DJ Chark and waived/injury quarterback Emory Jones. Chark and Jones played in both of the Falcons’ first two preseason games. Chark didn’t record any stats against the Detroit Lions but caught one of his three targets for 11 yards against the Tennessee Titans.”
“Jones completed four of five passes for 49 yards against the Lions and two of his five passes for 16 yards against the Titans. Jones left the latest game prematurely with an undisclosed injury after what appeared to be a hard hit on his scramble.”
Chark’s tenure in Atlanta lasted three weeks. He previously played for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
Chark’s Resume
Here’s Chark’s full NFL destination resume since turning pro in 2018:
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2018–2021)
- Detroit Lions (2022)
- Carolina Panthers (2023)
- Los Angeles Chargers (2024)
- Atlanta Falcons (2025)
And receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns over the last seven seasons:
2024: 4 Rec | 31 Yds | 1 TD
2023: 35 Rec | 525 Yds | 5 TD
2022: 30 Rec | 502 Yds | 3 TD
2021: 7 Rec | 154 Yds | 2 TD
2020: 53 Rec | 706 Yds | 5 TD
2019: 118 Rec | 1,008 Yds | 8 TD
2018: 14 Rec | 174 Yds | 0 TD
The Vikings’ Budding Need for WR Depth
Minnesota won’t have Jordan Addison for the regular season’s first few games; he’s suspended until Week 4. Free-agent newcomer WR Rondale Moore won’t play at all this season after tearing up his knee in the first preseason game. Justin Jefferson is battling a minor hamstring pull, but is expected to be ready for Week 1.
Jalen Nailor injured his hand last week; the team should reveal his status in the coming days. And rookie Tai Felton may or may not be ready for a WR3-WR4 workload. Stay tuned.
All of those factors have coagulated for fans to suggest the signing of one more wide receiver — which could be a player like Chark.
Why It Makes Sense
Chark adds up for the Vikings for three reasons. First, he’s a seasoned veteran who won’t demand a WR1 or WR2 workload. At this juncture, he knows his role. His days of 1,008 receiving yards per season (2019) are long gone.
Secondly, when utilized on offense, Chark has recently contributed about 500+ yards per season. Well, that’s exactly what Minnesota needs when eyeing WR depth.
Lastly, Chark, theoretically, could be showcased heavily with Addison on the shelf, and the moment Addison returned from his suspension, Minnesota could fade Chark to WR4 or so. The relationship could almost feel transactional — with no hard feelings from Chark at this stage of his career.
Chark is also big at 6’3″ and 200 pounds, and Minnesota doesn’t employ too many large WRs.
More on Chark
The Falcoholic‘s David Choate wrote about Chark’s release and the Falcons’ roster on Monday, “With the official announcement that the team has signed Ben DiNucci to soak up preseason finale snaps, we learned that the team has waived Emory Jones with an injury designation and cut DJ Chark. There’s likely to be one more move in the offing here to fill a roster spot, but we don’t have that just yet.”
“Chark has been productive enough throughout his career that I thought he’d be in the running for a roster spot after Darnell Mooney’s injury, but it just didn’t happen for him.”
Chark will turn 29 next month.
“With Chris Blair, Dylan Drummond, Nick Nash, Casey Washington, and David Sills all impressing in training camp and with Blair, Drummond, and Nash having big moments in preseason while Washington and Sills seem lined up for roster spots, Chark was left to play late and never really caught on,” Choate continued.
“He’ll hope to hook on with another team, and we’ll wish him well wherever he lands. Jones, meanwhile, had his strong moments as a passer and runner as the clear-cut potential QB4 in preseason, and that might have been enough for him to latch on to a practice squad spot if the Falcons wanted insurance for a potential Kirk Cousins trade.”
Chark was a teammate of T.J. Hockenson’s in 2022 with the Lions.
You must be logged in to post a comment.