The Jacksonville Jaguars will have their work cut out this offseason. Once they find Doug Pederson's replacement, they'll need to evaluate last year's roster and see who'll be back in 2025. One player who probably won't make the cut is wide receiver Christian Kirk.
Once a mainstay of the Jags' offense and one of Trevor Lawrence's most trusted targets, Kirk has suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back years. Add the fact that he's got a considerable cap hit, and it's easy to see why he could be a cap casualty, or a trade target as Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggests.
Knox put together a trade big board and included Kirk, arguing that Jacksonville already tried to deal him last year. Moreover, the former Texas A&M Aggie is likely expendable due to the presence of star receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
"It'll be a mild surprise if Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk isn't traded at some point this offseason. Jacksonville found its new No. 1 receiver in rookie Brian Thomas Jr., and it was reportedly close to dealing Kirk before he suffered a season-ending broken collarbone."
Knox goes on to say that Kirk has only tallied one 1,000-yard season in his career but points out that he's only 28 and could help clubs in need of a WR2 or WR3. From the Jaguars' side of things, moving on from the veteran and freeing up cap space would allow them to make a run for either Tee Higgins and Chris Godwin in free agency.
A second-round pick in 2018, Kirk signed a four-year contract worth $72 million with the Jags in 2022. The deal raised eyebrows at the time because Jacksonville was paying a premium for a receiver who had never crossed the 1,000-yard mark. Nevertheless, the Arizona native silenced critics when he set career highs for yards, catches, and receiving touchdowns in his first season in Duval.
Kirk was on pace to have another productive campaign in 2023 but a core injury cut his season short. Looking to bounce back and prove he was still the same player last year, but he instead had somewhat of a down season that ended when he suffered a collarbone injury.
Before Kirk suffered the injury, the Jags were in talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade the veteran receiver, but negotiations came to a halt when he got hurt. He's now entering the last year of the deal he got in 2022 and is set to have a cap number of $24.08 million. However, the team's brass can release him to free up $10.4 million in space with $13.6 million in dead money.
Trading Christian Kirk would pave the way for the Jaguars to acquire Tee Higgins
Christian Kirk played a massive role in the turnaround the Jacksonville Jaguars had in 2022. However, he's dealt with injuries the past two seasons and doesn't appear to be part of the team's long-term plans. The Jags may not get more than a fifth or sixth-round pick for him, but that's better than releasing him and getting nothing in exchange for him.
Leaving aside that the Jaguars would create space by releasing him or trading him, they would also pave the way to target Tee Higgins in free agency. The former Clemson Tiger played the 2024 season under the franchise tag and is set to become a free agent. Given that the Cincinnati Bengals also need to pay Ja'Marr Chase, they'll have trouble bringing Higgins back.
Signing Higgins won't be cheap, but the Jaguars have enough space to sign him. They're slated to have around $35 million but would get more if they release a handful of players, including Kirk. Add the fact that they don't have many pressing signings outside of maybe Andre Cisco and Jacksonville is in a position to make a run for the No. 1 player in Pro Football Focus' list of free agents.
By locking up Higgins, the Jags would reunite him with Trevor Lawrence, his quarterback in college. Is the scenario a bit farfetched? Yes, when you take into account that he'll be a hot commodity in free agency. That said, it's doable, and moving on from Christian Kirk would allow Jacksonville to pull it off.