Retirement may be in the very near future for DJ Chark, but as the 2025 season approaches, the Dallas Cowboys could offer him a compelling reason to lace up the cleats one more time.
The Cowboys wide receivers room has one of the league’s best wideouts in CeeDee Lamb, and they traded for George Pickens this offseason. Beyond that, Dallas’s depth at WR includes Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, KaVontae Turpin, Ryan Flournoy, Parris Campbell, Jalen Brooks and Jalen Moreno-Cropper.
Could there be a spot for Chark?
The Cowboys present the kind of opportunity that might entice Chark to delay retirement and chase a ring in a system that suits his strengths–and that’s coming from the veteran wideout himself. Let’s discuss.
D.J. Chark Says He’s Willing to Put Retirement Off For the Dallas Cowboys
GettyWide receiver D.J. Chark named the Dallas Cowboys as one team he’d play for in 2025.
In an interview with SportsCasting’s Kyle Odegard on July 16, Chark was asked if he had any plans to play in 2025.
“It depends,” he replied. “It will have to be something that makes sense, from a family perspective and also from an Xs and Os perspective. 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.”
Noting Chark “recently bought a house in Fort Worth, Texas, where he plans to build a life with his wife, Chantelle, and his kids,” Odegard noted Chark “would love for it to be for a team like the Cowboys, Texans or Saints, those located near his extended family.”
“It would definitely be more attractive in the sense of not having to move my family really far,” Chark told Odegard. “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.”
A Look Back at Chark’s NFL Career
Chark entered the league as a second-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018. Though his rookie campaign was relatively quiet, Chark exploded in 2019 with 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl nod.
After leaving the Jaguars, Chark signed with the Detroit Lions in 2022 and later the Carolina Panthers in 2023. In Detroit, he had 502 yards and three touchdowns, averaging nearly 17 yards per catch. His stint in Carolina yielded 525 yards and five scores.
He joined the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 but never found a rhythm, finishing with just four catches for 31 yards and one touchdown across seven games.
At 28, if Chark still has enough burst to get behind defenders, he could be an intriguing option for the Cowboys. With a proven quarterback in Dak Prescott and playoff expectations in Dallas, it’s easy to see why Chark could find the situation appealing.
He says he’s still unsigned because he hasn’t found the right fit.
“I’ve had conversations with a few teams, but being 28 and having injuries, it definitely becomes a financial thing,” Chark said. “If I’m a GM offering this person this contract – they probably wouldn’t want to give that if they won’t receive on their investment. So I think the injuries play a part (in being unsigned), and then the other part is, I’ve had the opportunity to go work out with certain teams, but it didn’t align with my views and where I’m at now.”
If the Cowboys are interested, it’s clear Chark would be open to a tryout at the very least.
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