Falcons Cut Ties With 3,100-Yard Former Pro Bowl WR

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After just one month, the D.J. Chark experiment in Atlanta is over. Earlier this morning, Falcons Digital Team Reporter Terrin Waack reported that the team signed QB Ben DiNucci. As a result, one of their corresponding moves was to release former Pro Bowl WR D.J. Chark.

Former Pro Bowl WR Cut After Less Than 1 Month

The Falcons signed the veteran wide receiver to a one-year deal on July 25th. But, after just over three weeks, Atlanta has parted ways with Chark.

After an underwhelming rookie season, Chark broke out in 2019. During his Pro Bowl campaign, the second-year receiver thrived with rookie QB Gardner Minshew and veteran QB Nick Foles. D.J. Chark led the Jaguars in targets (118), yards (1,008) and touchdowns (8) and finished second in receptions (73) behind Leonard Fournette.

Unfortunately, Chark hasn’t been able to replicate any of those numbers over the past five seasons. While he showed promise early in his career, Chark has signed four straight one-year deals for progressively smaller amounts.

After signing a one-year, $1.3 million deal, Chark put up a very quiet preseason. He recorded just one catch for 11 yards on three targets.

So, it’s not a huge surprise that the Falcons decided to let him go. But, after losing Darnell Mooney for an undetermined amount of time, their wide receiver corps is in need of some veteran depth.

Falcons WR Corps Stuck in Middle of the Pack

The former Pro Bowler wasn’t necessarily going to play a huge role, given his lack of recent production. But, Chark’s departure still leaves a hole to fill at wide receiver.

On Friday, ESPN’s Mike Clay released his positional group rankings, listing the Falcons wide receivers at No. 18. While they still ranked above the Saints (No. 20) and Panthers (No. 23), they trailed far behind the Buccaneers (No. 3).

Even in her most recent 53-man roster projection, Falcons Senior Reporter Tori McElhaney didn’t include Chark among the six receivers to make the team or the five receivers competing for a spot.

The top three receivers on McElhaney’s list make perfect sense, as Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud finished in that order in terms of targets, receptions and yards last season. But, after that, the depth chart starts to thin out.

KhaDarel Hodge offers much more on special teams, as he earned a Pro Bowl nod last season. But, he’s recorded just a total of 34 catches for 565 yards and two touchdowns over three seasons with the Falcons.

So, if Darnell Mooney is forced to miss any amount of time to start the season, the Falcons will likely need to go back on the hunt for some free agent talent at wide receiver. Unfortunately, at this point in the offseason, the list of quality free agents is about as short as it gets.

NFL Daily Host Gregg Rosenthal compiled a list of the top 100 free agents of 2025 back on March 4. As of now, only two wide receivers remain on the list, and they’re about as far apart as possible. Only one seems like a reasonable option, though.

After eclipsing 1,000 yards in seven of his first nine seasons, veteran WR Amari Cooper experienced the worst season of his career in 2024. He recorded career-lows in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns with the Browns and Bills.

After stepping in to replace Stefon Diggs as Josh Allen‘s No. 1 target, Cooper may be looking to secure one last big payday. Unfortunately, the Falcons don’t necessarily have the cap space to make that happen.

As it stands right now, the Falcons look like they could use some reinforcements at wide receiver. With D.J. Chark in the rearview mirror, who will step up for Atlanta?

Trevor Williamson Trevor Williamson joined Heavy Sports as a contributor in May 2025, focusing on the NFL. He is based in the southwest, but is originally from the midwest, where he grew up as a fan of the Bears, Cubs and Bulls surrounded by Packers, Brewers and Bucks fans. He is confident that Caleb Williams is the guy who will bring the Bears back to prominence. More about Trevor Williamson