It is an exciting time for the Atlanta Falcons as the Michael Penix Jr. era will officially begin in Week 1 now that he has taken over the starting quarterback job from veteran Kirk Cousins.
While Penix did appear in five games for Atlanta as a rookie, the keys to the offense were still in the pocket of Cousins. Now that he has been demoted to the Falcons' QB2, Penix Jr. has the opportunity to go through a full training camp while getting the lion's share of reps with the first team offense.
With Atlanta having invested a first-round pick in Penix, they want to do their best to set him up for success. The Falcons took another step in that direction on Friday by adding a former Pro Bowl wide receiver to their roster.
Falcons Sign Former Pro Bowl WR DJ Chark Jr. During Training Camp
After what was deemed to be a successful free agent visit with the franchise, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo is reporting that veteran wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with Atlanta.
The #Falcons are signing veteran WR D.J. Chark following today’s visit with the team, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Former #Jaguars second-rounder heads to Atlanta after a season with the #Chargers. pic.twitter.com/6hqN6Vm5HF
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 25, 2025
Chark now joins a Falcons wide receivers room that already features Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud III. In addition to those receivers, having Kyle Pitts as the team's No. 1 tight end and Bijan Robinson as their top running back gives Penix plenty of quality options to distribute the football to.
The former second-round pick out of LSU has appeared in 76 games over his career and has recorded 216 receptions for 3,100 yards and 24 touchdowns. While a hip injury hampered Chark throughout the 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers, limiting him to four receptions for 31 yards over seven games, a healthy version of the former Pro Bowler could be a great second or third option on the outside for Penix Jr. and this Falcons offense.
Now that he is signed on and ready to join his new teammates at training camp, fans in Atlanta will be able to see firsthand just what the veteran has to offer this Falcons offense as they look to take the next step as a franchise.