Steelers will keep tabs on key Jaguars offensive player ahead of trade deadline

The Jacksonville Jaguars could potentially be sellers ahead of the November 1 deadline if they struggle to bounce back. Many of their players could garner interest from other teams, with Christian Kirk possibly being one of them. The Pittsburgh Steelers could be interested in his services.

Dan Graziano of ESPN recently shared the whispers he's hearing across the league and says that Kirk could be on the Steelers' radar. He also mentions DeAndre Hopkins as another receiver Pittsburgh could set their sights on before the headline.

"The Steelers were active on the wide receiver market in the offseason -- remember, they had a real chance to land Brandon Aiyuk had the 49ers not been able to extend him -- and I expect them to continue to monitor the receiver trade market as the deadline approaches. Tennessee's DeAndre Hopkins and Jacksonville's Christian Kirk are two veterans who could conceivably become available and might be appealing to the Steelers if their teams continue to lose and fall out of the playoff race."

The Steelers are currently in dire need of receiver help. They previously made a run for Brandon Aiyuk before he agreed to a contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers. Pittsburgh was willing to give the former Arizona State Sun Devil a top-market contract and it's easy to see why. Beyond George Pickens, they don't have much depth at the position.

Van Jefferson is starting opposite Van Jefferson but has only logged three catches for 15 yards in 2024. Also in the mix are Calvin Austin III and Scotty Miller but neither has done much of note. That's why it wouldn't be shocking to see Pittsburgh attempt to trade Kirk in the upcoming weeks.

Kirk, a second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals, joined the Jags in 2022. Although his signing raised eyebrows because he hadn't crossed the 1,000-yard mark at that point of his career, he went on to post career bests for catches and receiving yards in his first season in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars could trade Christian Kirk, with Parker Washington in the fold

Currently, the Jacksonville Jaguars are riding a 0-3 losing skid, and it doesn't look like there's an end in sight. This could lead the front office to shop several players around and start collecting extra assets for next year's draft while clearing cap space.

Currently, they have extra fourth and third-round selections in 2025 and around $15 million in cap space. Additional resources would most certainly come in handy if they start over in 2025.

Kirk has established himself as one of Trevor Lawrence's most trusted targets the past two seasons. However, he's off to an underwhelming start to 2024, registering 108 yards on 10 catches. To add insult to injury, he's been marred by drops, so nobody would bat an eye if the team's brass considers the possibility of moving on from him. When you factor in that the Jags already have a potential replacement in Parker Washington, trading Kirk becomes a somewhat realistic possibility.

This isn't to say that a trade will happen or that Jacksonville will actively shop Kirk. However, it wouldn't be surprising if they chose to pull the trigger. Having said that, trading him wouldn't help Lawrence short term.

The Jaguars gave No. 16 a top-market contract in the offseason because they believe he's their guy. Moreover, they signed Gabe Davis and drafted Brian Thomas Jr., showing they want to put their quarterback in a position to succeed. By removing Kirk from the equation, they would effectively be taking away one of Lawrence's weapons, which in turn would prevent him from putting it all together.

Conversely, Jacksonville has made a heavy investment at wide receiver and isn't getting a good return. Kirk has certainly underperformed this season, and they could trade him in order to reduce costs at the position.

Ultimately, this is a fluid situation. There are currently no signs the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to trade Christian Kirk but there are enough reasons to think they would if they felt that was the best course of action in the midst of a less-than-stellar season.

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