Former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk is leaving the desert. The former second-round pick has agreed to terms on a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Christian Kirk agrees to terms with Jaguars
According to Rapoport, the Jaguars will give Kirk a whopping $72 million over four years. The deal has a maximum value of $84 million. With a downside of $18 million annually, Kirk becomes one of the top-paid receivers in the entire league, despite never producing a 1,000-yard season during his career.
In Jacksonville, Kirk will become a top passing option for Trevor Lawrence and partner with Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault Jr. to improve the Jaguars’ passing game.
While Kirk is coming off a career year in Arizona, he’s yet to get the chance to prove he is a top target in an offense. In Jacksonville, he might just get that chance.
Getting to know Kirk
The Cardinals selected Kirk in the second round (47th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. While Kirk was expected to become an instant complement to Larry Fitzgerald, he didn’t get to really spread his wings in the offense right away. As a rookie, he caught 43 passes for 590 yards and 3 touchdowns.
During his second season, Kirk played second fiddle to Fitzgerald and hauled in 68 passes for 709 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Cardinals acquired DeAndre Hopkins in 2020, and Kirk became a third option in the passing game. Still, Kirk recorded 48 receptions for 621 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Last season, with Hopkins dealing with injury and Fitzgerald out of the picture, Kirk had a career year. He caught 77 passes for 982 yards and 5 touchdowns. As a result, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Texas A&M alum boosted his stock before free agency.
Who is left on the market?
Kirk was Pro Football Network Lead NFL Analyst Dalton Miller’s 23rd overall free agent and fourth-ranked wide receiver on the open market.
With Kirk out of the picture, wideouts like Will Fuller of the Miami Dolphins, JuJu Smith-Schuster of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and DJ Chark Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars will look to cash in during the second wave of the market. All three wideouts are listed within Miller’s Top 100 Free Agents.