WR Christian Kirk dubbed the Jaguars' biggest contract priority

The Jacksonville Jaguars checked off two massive boxes when they paid Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen. Having taken care of their two best players, the Jags now can turn their attention to other key contributors. Wide receiver Christian Kirk is one of them and Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report believes he's next in line to get paid.

Fowler put together a list of every team's biggest contract extension ahead of the 2024 NFL season. He picked Kirk for the Jaguars, noting that they're not afraid to reward their own players and he's become an integral piece in their offensive puzzle.

"From re-upping with Roy Robertson-Harris and Foye Oluokun to making Trevor Lawrence the highest-paid player in the league (AAV), wideout Christian Kirk could, and should be next in line for a payday.

At the time of Kirk's signing in 2022, he hadn't posted a 1,000-yard season and had tallied more than 900 yards just once during his first four NFL seasons. Since his arrival, Kirk has totaled 2,026 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns to lead the Jaguars' receiving core."

Kirk, a second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, had logged more than 800 yards in a season once in his career just once before he signed with the Jags. That's why they raised plenty of eyebrows when they gave him a top-market contract worth $72 million in 2022. However, Jacksonville got vindicated when the former Texas A&M Aggie crossed the 1,000-yard mark and scored a personal best eight touchdowns in 2022.

Even though injuries forced Kirk to miss the last four games of the 2023 season, he still managed to catch 57 receptions for 787 yards with three touchdowns. It's also worth pointing out that he got hurt in the Jaguars' first offensive possession in their bout against the Cincinnati Bengals, so he basically sat out another game. Had he stayed healthy, there's a good chance he would've registered his second 1,000-yard season in a row.

Kirk is now healthy and ready to remind everyone of the player he was before getting hurt. And while the Jaguars added Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis in the offseason, Kirk will still have a pivotal role in the passing game.

Why the Jaguars could pay Christian Kirk next

The Jaguars haven't shied away from giving their players new deals even if the current ones haven't expired. Foyesade Oluokun and Trevor Lawrence are the latest examples. This could bode well for Christian Kirk's chances of getting an extension before the start of the 2024 season.

That said, the Jaguars aren't probably in a hurry to give Kirk a new deal. His contract runs through 2025, and other players on the roster may be bigger priorities. Safety Andre Cisco and cornerback Tyson Campbell come to mind, as the two of them are entering contract years. It wouldn't be surprising to see Jacksonville make an effort to lock up either one or both before the end of 2024.

Left tackle Cam Robinson is also entering a contract year. The team's brass has several options at the position but re-signing the Alabama product shouldn't be ruled out. After all, they could've moved on from him in the offseason and freed up $17 million in space. Instead, they expect him to be on the roster in 2024.

This is to say that Kirk could get a contract extension in the upcoming months, but other Jaguars players probably have a better chance of getting paid.

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