Jaguars WR Christian Kirk close to earning well deserved bonuses

Wide receiver Christian Kirk has been an important piece in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive puzzle this season. He’s just 12 yards shy of registering 1,000 receiving yards this season and he should reach the milestone against the Houston Texans in Week 17. He should also be able to reach a handful of performance-based incentives.

Michael Rothstein of ESPN recently put together a list of players that have earned or are close to earning contract bonuses and Kirk was among those who made the cut.

"If Kirk hits 80 receptions, he’ll get $500,000. If he reaches 90 catches, that’ll add another $500,000, and if he were somehow to reach 100 catches, that’d be another $500,00.It seems possible Kirk, who has caught six or more passes in eight of 15 games this season could at least get to 90 receptions. Kirk will also receive $500,000 if he hits 1,000 yards, another $500,000 if he gets to 1,100 yards, and another $500,000 still if he hits 1,200 yards."

Kirk currently has 76 receptions for 988 yards with seven touchdowns. He should have no trouble crossing the 80-catch mark against the Texans and will have a realistic shot at getting to 90 receptions against the Tennessee Titans in the season finale. Similarly, he should easily get over 1,000 yards against Houston and maybe 1,100 yards against the Titans. That should net him a total of $2 million. On the other hand, getting either 1,200 yards or 100 catches seems considerably more difficult.

The Jaguars must be pleased with their investment in Christian Kirk

The Jags were heavily criticized for giving Christian Kirk a top-market contract in free agency. At the time of the signing, talking heads suggested Jacksonville had paid a premium for a wide receiver that hadn’t logged a 1,000-yard season in his career and was often the second option in the Arizona Cardinals’ passing game.

However, the Jags gave Kirk a four-year deal contract with a base salary of $72 million based on what he could do in their offense rather than his production with the Cards. Then again, there were signs their investment was going to pay off. After all, Kirk proved he could be a productive WR1 during DeAndre Hopkins’ absence in 2021. Also, he showed he was at his best when he lined up in the slot, which is where he’s played most of his snaps this season.

There’s always a risk a free-agent signing won’t work out but Kirk has successfully put to rest any questions regarding his capability as a No. 1 receiver. He’s set to be the first Jaguar to register 1,000 yards in a season since DJ Chark Jr. did back in 2019. Similarly, he’s one of All-Pro Tyreek Hill’s top 5 receivers in the league.

Nowadays, you will be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks the Jaguars overpaid for Kirk. In fact, the team is probably glad they’ll pay him all the bonuses he’s close to earning.