{"id":536287,"date":"2026-03-21T07:28:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T07:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/536287\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T07:28:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T07:28:08","slug":"former-pro-bowl-wideout-dj-chark-retires-from-nfl-at-29","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/536287\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Pro Bowl wideout DJ Chark retires from NFL at 29"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Former Pro Bowl wide receiver DJ Chark has announced his retirement from the NFL, bringing an end to a seven-year career.<\/p>\n<p>Chark, 29, hasn\u2019t played in the NFL since 2024, and enjoyed a four-year run with the Jaguars \u2014 the team he was drafted by \u2014 before bouncing around the Lions, Panthers and Chargers for his final three years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter much contemplation, I have decided to share a proper farewell as I navigate retirement,\u201d he said in a lengthy Instagram post on Friday. \u201cMy journey began at the age of 7 when I signed up for football, unaware of the profound impact it would have on my life. I simply loved the sport and had the unwavering support of my parents. Years later I received the support of my wife, kids, family and thousands of fans!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chark continued: \u201cAs I write this I reflect on the challenges I\u2019ve faced and overcome, as well as the rewards I\u2019ve reaped. I\u2019ve learned to appreciate every experience and not take any of them for granted. As I enter this next chapter of my life, I remain committed to being an active pillar in my community, empowering the youth through charitable work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img style=\"aspect-ratio:1.49926794;display:block\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"38849572\" width=\"885\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1407395395.jpg\" alt=\"DJ Chark Jr. walks off of the field against the Houston Texans during an NFL game at NRG Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Houston, Texas.\" class=\"wp-image-38849572\"  \/>DJ Chark Jr. walks off of the field against the Houston Texans during an NFL game at NRG Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Houston, Texas. Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Chark entered the league as a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft out of LSU, then known primarily for his speed and ability to stretch the field vertically.<\/p>\n<p>He quickly developed into one of the Jaguars\u2019 top offensive weapons.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.49926794;display:block\" decoding=\"async\" data-modal-image=\"38849589\" width=\"885\" height=\"590\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1343340233.jpg\" alt=\"D.J. Chark makes a reception for a touchdown during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at TIAA Bank Field on September 26, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida.\" class=\"wp-image-38849589\"  \/>D.J. Chark makes a reception for a touchdown during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at TIAA Bank Field on September 26, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>His most productive season came in 2019, when he earned Pro Bowl honors after recording 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>That year established Chark as a legitimate starter in Jacksonville, where he remained through the 2021 season.<\/p>\n<p>Chark never again reached the 1,000-yard milestone, but he had other productive seasons as more of a role player as his career progressed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe 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,\u201d Chark wrote. \u201cAll glory goes to God, I am forever thankful.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former Pro Bowl wide receiver DJ Chark has announced his retirement from the NFL, bringing an end to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536288,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[1811,349,99],"class_list":["post-536287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-jacksonville-jaguars","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}