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The Detroit Lions had plenty of ups and downs during the 2022-23 season, and that combined to make it a year unlike many other for the players.
From a 1-6 start to an 8-2 finish, the Lions managed to change the narrative about their team for the future. That was something that players have been able to realize as they reflect back on the year 48 hours after their final game.
Wideout DJ Chark hasn’t even been with the team a full calendar year having signed last March in free agency, but he believes that he had a fun season with the team and learned a lot with his warriors and new teammates.
“Hell of a ride with some true warriors… I learned so much from this team this year… no need to give us respect cause we was gonna take it anyways…,” Chark tweeted along with the “victory Monday” hashtag.
With this admission, it’s clear that Chark liked his stay with the Lions and appreciated what he was able to do with the team. The team seemed to embrace Chark just as much.
A pending free agent, time will tell if the Lions agree and bring Chark back into the fold for 2023 on a long-term deal. This tweet might show that Chark could be open to a possible return.
Chark Enjoyed Decent 2022 Season With Lions
Statistically speaking, Chark’s year was up and down, but that was due mostly to the fact that he sustained injury early on and had to take time near the middle of the season to get it right.
During camp, Chark was seen as one of Jared Goff’s best targets. That didn’t materialize through the first three weeks of the season given he collected just 98 yards and one touchdown on seven receptions. Chark went on IR to get his ankle injury healthy, and returned on Thanksgiving where he scored a touchdown.
The next seven weeks, Chark would put up 404 yards and two touchdowns. Chark would finish with 502 yards and three touchdowns on the year. His biggest catch, ironically, ended up being in the season finale when he squeezed a pass from Goff on fourth-and-one for a gain of nine to salt Detroit’s 20-16 win away vs. the Packers:.
There’s plenty of reason for the Lions to bring Chark back, and perhaps tops on the list is the chemistry he did show with Goff and the offense when completely healthy late in the year.
Lions Must Consider Keeping Chark
The biggest question Brad Holmes will have to answer regarding Chark this offseason revolves around who the real player might be given his very different seasons.
Is Chark the injury-prone guy who started the season by dropping a few passes, then getting dinged up and having to be shelved? Or is he the guy who has surged down the stretch and looked like a major piece within Detroit’s offense?
There’s something to be said for comfort, and Chark seems to fit in well with the Lions roster as well as Jared Goff. It’s more than possible the injury problems to start the year were simply a fluke, and bad luck for a Detroit team that’s had more than its fair share this season.
When he is on, Chark seems like an easy 80-100 yard pass catcher most weeks. That’s big production for a Detroit offense that has needed some of the deep ball jolts he has been able to provide. Since he’s come back, there has been a noticeable uptick in the number of big plays Detroit’s offense generates.
Chark may not be the sexiest name on the market this year, but he already fits Detroit and knows the scheme. As this tweet shows, he might fit the culture perfectly, too.
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