DJ Chark readies for return to Jacksonville just as he heats up for Carolina Panthers
DJ Chark has a lot of fond memories from his days with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the organization that drafted him in 2018.
He remembers most how much he’s matured.
“While I was there, we didn’t have a lot of success, but personally I felt a lot of growth from being a rookie,” said Chark, the Carolina Panthers’ deep threat receiver. “There are people I’ve met, the bonds that I’ve made, the things I was able to accomplish along the way. I’ll always hold that dear to me, as well as just my family. I had my daughter there at our home in Jacksonville. So I’ll always hold that dear to me as well.”
The Panthers’ 1 p.m. kickoff Sunday will mark the first time Chark has returned to EverBank Stadium since departing the Jaguars after the 2021 season. And his return, coincidentally enough, aligns perfectly with the peak of his tenure in Carolina to date.
Chark made six receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Eve. He was the guy the offense, largely, was flowing through toward the end of the game. The former LSU star even made the toe-tapping catch on the Panthers’ final drive that gave his team a chance to force overtime against the Packers — the same type of catch he made a week earlier, which directly led to the Panthers’ game-winning kick against the Falcons.
Sunday won’t mark the first game Chark has played against his old team. He played the Jags when he was on the Lions last season, but that game was in Detroit.
It, in fact, will mark a reunion of sorts for a bunch of guys in the Panthers’ locker room. That includes cornerback CJ Henderson and WR/RB Laviska Shenault and DE Nick Thurman, who all played in Jacksonville at different times earlier in their careers.
Chark said that his return doesn’t add a profound stake to Sunday’s contest. (Although in Chark’s matchup with Detroit on the road earlier this year, he caught six passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.)
“Just to do my part, whatever that may be,” he said. “Having all the opportunities I get, make the most of them, and that’s really what drives me at this point. Whether that’s a lot of opportunities or that’s one or two, just making the most out of it and getting the win.”
Derrick Brown honest in his self-assessment
Derrick Brown, the Panthers’ indelible defensive tackle who leads the NFL in tackles among defensive linemen, shed an interesting perspective with reporters Thursday. He said while he’s happy with the attention he’s gotten because of his output — and while he hopes to make the Pro Bowl — he also thinks that this season might not be the best one he’s played.
“To be honest, I feel like I played better last year,” Brown said. “It’s one of those things where I feel like I’ve been able to be a big part of the defense and just do my job (this year). I don’t really worry about what goes on. I would like to be in the Pro Bowl, yes, but that’s outside what I can worry about.
He added: “Getting familiar with that defense (4-3 as opposed to the current 3-4), and being able to control where the ball was going in the middle, I was a lot different. I feel like I’m doing well in this defense too, but I feel like this is my first time really getting my feet wet in this defense. So do I think there is another level I can go to in this defense? I do.”
Panthers injury report
A bunch of Carolina starters missed practice Wednesday, and while some returned to action Thursday, the team still appears to be pretty banged up ahead of their contest with the Jaguars.
The Panthers’ injury report on Thursday is below. Note that an asterisk (*) is around players who did not participate in practice Wednesday.
Did not play: Troy Hill* (concussion), Jaycee Horn* (toe)
Limited: Ickey Ekwonu* (foot), Marquis Haynes* (back), Chuba Hubbard (hamstring), Frankie Luvu* (quad), Taylor Moton* (knee)
Full: Claudin Cherelus (knee), Donte Jackson (ankle), Nash Jensen (back), Cade Mays (ankle), Miles Sanders (toe), Stephen Sullivan (wrist), Tommy Tremble (back)
