After the Jacksonville Jaguars hired James Gladstone as the general manager, he made a handful of moves that weren't necessarily popular. Just before free agency, he released tight end Evan Engram and traded wide receiver Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans. Both of them dealt with injuries in 2024 but had been mainstays of the Jags offense in previous seasons, so their departure most definitely raised eyebrows.
Gladstone said that he respected both Kirk and Engram, but cutting ties with them helped the team address the larger scale roster. He was right, as he used that cap space to bolster a handful of position groups in free agents. Fast forward to 2026, and the decision to part ways with Kirk and Engram looks even better.
The Jaguars knew what they were doing when they traded Christian Kirk
When the Jaguars signed Christian Kirk in 2022, they caught heat for giving him a top-market contract despite the fact that he had never had a 1,000-yard season in his career. However, he went to have a banner year, hauling in a career-best 84 receptions for 1,108 yards with eight touchdowns.
Kirk was on pace to once again cross the 1,000-yard mark in 2023 before he suffered a collarbone injury that cut his season short. Then in 2024, he sustained a core injury that sidelined him for most of the year. Couple that with the fact that Parker Washington proved to be a fine replacement in his absence, and Jacksonville chose to move on from him in order to free up a bit over $10 million in space.
After landing in Houston, Kirk agreed to restructure his contract to reduce his cap hit from $15.5 million to a manageable $4.8 million. To pull it off, the Texans converted the remainder of his salary into a guarantee bonus. That bonus became $11.7 million in dead money in 2026, so the former Texas A&M Aggie will count against their cap even in 2026 if he leaves. And that's the thing, he's slated to become a free agent, and it's hard to see him return after his unremarkable 2024.
In 13 games, Kirk caught 28 passes for 239 yards with one touchdown. The Texans surely expected more when they poached him from Jacksonville.
The Jaguars don't miss Christian Kirk, not one bit
You could make the case that the Jaguars took a gamble when they traded Christian Kirk, but it was one they felt good about based on how things had played out. Parker Washington went on to have a career season, and Jacksonville traded for Jakobi Meyers midseason after the Dyami Brown signing flopped. Heading into the playoffs, Trevor Lawrence's arsenal of weapons looks in great shape.
Granted, the Texans also qualified for the postseason but did it in spite of Christian Kirk. Once they go into offseason mode, they'll need to find a replacement for Kirk.
Sure, James Gladstone has had a few blunders during his stint with the Jaguars, but he knew what he was doing when he traded Christian Kirk to Houston, and it took the Texans a season to find out the hard way.