First Jaguars injury report of 2024 calms Christian Kirk concerns for fans everywhere

The Jacksonville Jaguars held out wide receiver Christian Kirk in the preseason as a cautionary measure. Their approach paid off, as he and defensive tackle Arik Armstead will be at full strength when the Jags face the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season.

The Jags released their injury report for Week 1 and only one player popped up: Daniel Thomas. A fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, the former Auburn Tiger has been dealing with a heel injury. He was a limited participant in practice Wednesday and is day-to-day.

Thomas is listed as a safety but he mostly gets playing time on special teams. If he ultimately doesn't suit up for Sunday's bout, maybe the team will promote Matthew Jackson from the practice squad to the active roster. An undrafted free agent last year, the Eastern Kentucky product played for the Tennessee Titans last year. He was just waived on roster cutdown day and signed by the Jags not long after. Like Thomas, he's carved a niche as a gunner.

Christian Kirk and Arik Armstead will suit up for the Jaguars in Week 1

The Jaguars won't probably want Thomas to miss the season opener but they're surely thrilled that they'll have Arik Armstead and Christian Kirk for the game. The former suffered a calf injury during the preseason. It wasn't serious but the coaching staff decided to let him recover rather than expose him to further risk.

Kirk has been one of Trevor Lawrence's most trusted targets the past two years. A second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, the former Texas A&M Aggie had never reached the 1,000-yard mark before he signed with the Jags in 2022. However, he had over 1,100 yards and a career-best eight touchdowns in his first season in Jacksonville. He was poised to have yet another productive year in 2023 but a core injury forced him to miss the last four games.

On the other hand, Armstead spent the offseason recovering from a surgery he underwent to fix a meniscus injury he suffered last year. The ailment forced him to miss five games but he still managed to register five sacks and later appear in the Super Bowl, where he brought down Patrick Mahomes once.

After the 2023 season, the San Francisco 49ers asked Armstead to take a massive pay cut, which he found disrespectful. He was then released and promptly signed with the Jaguars. citing his familiarity with general manager Trent Baalke.

In Jacksonville, Armstead fills a massive void on the interior defensive line. His presence will prevent teams from devoting extra resources to slow down Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. It's also worth noting that the former Oregon Duck didn't play in the preseason but won't be on a snap count when the Jags face the Dolphins.

Ultimately, the Jacksonville Jaguars still need to show up and execute if they want to beat the Miami Dolphins in the opener. That said, having Christian Kirk and Arik Armstead in the fold will make things a bit easier.

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