Three weeks after being placed on injured reserve, Jacksonville Jaguars receiver D.J. Chark will miss the remainder of the season as he continues to recovery from a fractured ankle. Urban Meyer broke the news to reporters during his Monday press conference. Chark sustained the injury during the Jaguars' Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 61st overall pick in the 2018 draft, Chark caught seven passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns this season. He was coming off of a 2020 season that saw him catch 53 passes for 706 yards and five touchdowns for the 1-15 Jaguars. After an uneventful rookie campaign, Chark blossomed into a Pro Bowl performer in 2019. That season, he caught 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns while serving as Gardner Minshew's primary target.
With Chark out, the Jaguars' receiving corps will continue to be led by Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault Jr. and Jamal Agnew. A 10-year veteran, Jones leads the Jaguars with 28 receptions for 343 yards and three touchdowns. A second-year wideout, Shenault is second on the team with 26 receptions for 306 yards. Agnew, who spent his first four seasons with the Lions before joining the Jaguars this season, caught five of his six targets for 78 yards in the Jaguars' first win of the season, an overtime victory over the Dolphins in London.
The steady play of Jacksonville's wideouts has helped make life easier for rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence. After three rocky games to start his rookie season, Lawrence has responded with three solid outings. His completion percentage was around 70 percent in the Jaguars' losses to Cincinnati and Tennessee in Weeks 4 and 5. In the Jaguars' first win, Lawrence threw for 319 yards while directing the game-tying drive near the end of regulation as well as the game-winning drive in overtime.
Jacksonville will come out of their bye with a matchup this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks are 2-4 and are dealing with the absence of Russell Wilson, who is dealing with an injury to his throwing hand. Geno Smith is slated to make his second start of the season in Wilson's place Sunday against Jacksonville.
