The Lions were hoping to keep DJ Chark in Detroit, but he's off to Carolina.
The veteran wide receiver agreed to a one-year deal Friday with the Panthers, who have rebuilt their offense this offseason as they prepare to make the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Chark signed a one-year, $10 million deal with Detroit last offseason and went on to catch 30 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. He missed six games due to an ankle injury, but helped fuel the Lions' surge down the stretch.
"This past year has been incredible for me," Chark said Friday via Twitter after his deal with the Panthers became official. "Signing with Detroit and meeting the great people of that organization was huge for me. Playing with my brothers and going from 1-6 to 9-8 was amazing!"
Chark's departure does leave the Lions with a need at receiver, where they return Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Josh Reynolds, among others.
He also leaves them with a $6 million dead cap charge in 2023 due to the structure of his contract with Detroit, which included void years as a way to lower his cap hit last season.
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