One of the biggest decisions looming for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason is the fate of Christian Kirk. The veteran receiver has been the subject of trade speculation in recent months, and because of his significant cap hit, the Jags are expected to move on from him. That said, an NFL talking head proposes a way to keep him from leaving in 2025.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports made an appearance on 1010 XL and suggested the Jags restructure Kirk, pointing out that he's been one of Trevor Lawrence's most trusted targets.
"I would go to him and say, 'Hey, Christian, we're gonna redo this contract. We're gonna take the money down. Maybe we'll give you some incentives where you can earn it back. I know you like to be here. I know this is a place you'd like and try and keep them that way.' If he doesn't want to do that, then I think you have to make a tough decision," Prisco said when asked what the Jaguars should do.
Kirk has a cap hit of $24 million for 2025, the highest on the Jaguars next season. That said, releasing him would create $10.4 million in cap space with $13.6 million in dead money. Add the fact that the Jags reportedly had talks to trade him to the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, and it's easy to understand why the former Texas A&M Aggie doesn't appear to be part of Jacksonville's plans. But like most things in the NFL, this is a fluid situation and Kirk could ultimately stick around for one more season.
Below is Prisco's full exchange on 1010 XL. His remarks about Kirk potentially having his contract restructured start at the 00:37 mark.
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Restructuring Christian Kirk's deal may be the best course of action for the Jaguars
With free agency around the corner, the idea of reworking Christian Kirk's contract is picking up steam. Pete Prisco is far from the only analyst who's brought it up, but it makes sense when you look at how the dominos are falling.
For starters, releasing or trading Kirk would've made sense if the Jacksonville Jaguars were planning to make a run for Tee Higgins in free agency. The extra cap space would've come in handy, but the Cincinnati Bengals are using the franchise tag to keep him from hitting the open market.
With Higgins out of the mix, Chris Godwin and Cooper Kupp would become the best options to replace Kirk, but both of them would be more costly and come with injury concerns.
On the other hand, the salary cap ceiling for 2025 will be higher than expected, so teams will have a bit of extra space to keep players they were undecided about keeping next season.
Jacksonville was originally expected to have $31 million in space, but that amount went to $38 million due to the increase. Those extra $7 million could play a role in keeping Kirk in 2025. Last but not least, Kirk has to develop a strong rapport with Trevor Lawrence, and moving on from him would create a leadership void in the locker room.
When you take into account that the Jags are a young team in transition with Liam Coen at the helm, keeping Kirk at a reduced price seems like a reasonable course of action.