Throughout the offseason, Christian Kirk has been the subject of trade rumors. But in recent days, keeping him around seems like a realistic scenario for the Jacksonville Jaguars. If they were undecided, the Deebo Samuel trade news should make things easy for them.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the San Francisco 49ers have traded Samuel to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round selection.
It’s a 5th rounder going to SF. And Deebo has a new home. https://t.co/aOMleOdBQX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 1, 2025
The 2021 All-Pro nod asked to be traded, and the Niners granted his request. He'll leave $31 million in dead money but the fact that he was reportedly 20 pounds overweight and complained about his workload might explain why San Francisco was so eager to move on from him.
Moreover, the 49ers won't be on the hook for the $15.4 million bonus he was due on March 22, so it looks like they rather cut their losses than commit to Samuel for another year.
Meanwhile, the Commanders are getting a receiver who hasn't been nearly as productive as he was in 2021 but is entering a contract year. The prospect of having a fresh start and rebuilding his stock ahead of 2026 may incentivize the former South Carolina Gamecock to recapture his Pro Bowl form.
Circling back to the Jaguars, if they were still deciding whether to trade Kirk, the low compensation San Francisco got in exchange for Deebo Samuel should leave them with an easy decision.
Granted, the Commanders will be on the hook for Samuel's $17.5 million salary for 2025 whereas Kirk is set to make $15 million but none of it is guaranteed. Either way, the Jaguars won't probably get a better haul than Washington, so they're better off keeping the former Texas A&M Aggie.
The Deebo Samuel trade will have an impact on the Jaguars' decision to keep Christian Kirk
Just last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were in talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade Christian Kirk and would likely have gotten a deal done if he hadn't suffered a collarbone injury that cut his campaign short. Add the fact that the team's brass can free up $10 million in space if they trade or release the veteran wideout, and his fate appears to be sealed. That said, the possibility of keeping him around in 2025 has picked up steam in recent weeks.
It would've made sense to trade Kirk to free up space and make room for Tee Higgins. However, the former Clemson Tiger will tentatively get the franchise tag, so he'll stay with the Cincinnati Bengals for at least another season. On top of that, the outside options to replace Kirk — Cooper Kupp, and Chris Godwin — will be more expensive and both of them have dealt with injuries, so there's no guarantee either one will be an upgrade.
The bottom line is that based on how things have unfolded, the Jacksonville Jaguars are better off keeping Christian Kirk. Sure, he's coming off a couple of injury-marred seasons but who to say he'll bounce back and become the dependable weapon he was back in 2022? There's only one way to find out.