Steelers should swap JuJu Smith-Schuster for DJ Chark in free agency

The Pittsburgh Steelers must add explosiveness to their offense in 2022. Here’s why they should let JuJu Smith-Schuster walk and sign WR D.J. Chark. 

The Steelers need a spark on offense next season; that much is clear. Something Pittsburgh really lacked was an element of elite speed at the wide receiver position. Though Chase Claypool made an effort to stretch the field, he has good, but not great speed and the team had a terrible time trying to convert explosive plays.

Obviously, much of this falls on the shoulders of a 39-year-old quarterback who could no longer effortlessly whip the ball down the field at the flick of a wrist. Ben Roethlisberger clearly had his share of struggles in 2021, and it was a chore to routinely complete passes beyond 10 yards.

Regardless of who the next quarterback will be in Pittsburgh, the Steelers really need someone who can stretch the field to take the safeties out of the box and help out the running game. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver, DJ Chark, would be a perfect fit.

While the 2018 NFL Draft was going on, I lobbied for the Steelers to draft Chark in the second round. Instead, the team settled for a more productive, yet less explosive college player in James Washington.

Steelers should swap JuJu for Chark in free agency

There is a drawback to spending good money on a receiver like Chark in free agency: it probably means that you won’t be able to invest enough money into the position to extend JuJu Smith-Schuster as well. Quite frankly, I’m okay with this.

Over the past three seasons, JuJu hasn’t offered much more than any other receiver on the team — especially outside of the hashes — and slot receivers are relatively easy to find. Though JuJu did have an impressive Pro Bowl season back in 2018, it’s looking like it had more to do with playing opposite of Antonio Brown than anything else.

While DJ Chark wouldn’t offer the same level of consistency over the middle of the field, he could be a real threat outside of the hashes, and he offers speed at the wide receiver position the Steelers haven’t seen since Martavis Bryant in 2017.

In his second NFL season in 2019, Chark earned 73 catches for 1,008 yards and 8 touchdowns in 15 games and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Sadly injuries have gotten in the way over the past two seasons, and Chark played in just 4 games in 2021 before missing the remainder of the season with a fractured ankle.

Set for a fully healthy return in 2022, the Steelers could really use Chark’s 4.34 speed to add an element to their offense that the team has been lacking for nearly five years. Spotrac.com projects DJ Chark to earn roughly $11.6 million per season on his new deal that he will get in free agency. While JuJu doesn’t have a projected contract number, I expect him to come in cheaper than Chark.

Still, it would be worth Pittsburgh spending a few million extra per season to acquire a player with a rare trait to stretch the field. In JuJu’s place, I believe the Steelers should kick Chase Claypool inside. Claypool isn’t the most natural receiver when it comes to adjusting to the ball down the field, and I feel like he could be best just getting him the ball in space underneath and allowing him to make plays with his athleticism.

There could be many other teams eying Chark in free agency, and there’s a solid chance the Jaguars are going to want to retain him for QB Trevor Lawrence. However, if Chark does hit the market, the Steelers should strongly consider letting JuJu walk to bring in a player who could be better for their offense.