In three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Christian Kirk became an integral part of the team and a true fan favorite. Part of one of the best seasons in recent Jaguars history, he was a key piece to their playoff run in 2022, including the second-largest playoff comeback in NFL history.
However, with the team needing to fill a ton of holes this offseason, a quickfire way was to divest Kirk in a trade. As his time in Duval ended, the 28-year-old penned an emotional farewell to Jacksonville while providing an optimistic outlook to fans in Houston.
Christian Kirk Delivers Powerful Message to Jacksonville and Houston Respectively
In his three years with the Jags, Kirk became a consistent threat for Trevor Lawrence to target. His first year was his best, with injuries keeping him out for significant time in 2023 and 2024. Approaching a new season, he first had to say his goodbyes to the fans in Florida.
“I’ve had incredible moments being a Jacksonville Jaguar. I’ll always be grateful to Duval for changing my life and my family’s, and we appreciate the love and support more than y’all will ever know.” However, it wasn’t just the fanbase he was grateful to.
“I’m thankful for the coaches and teammates. I’ve had the privilege to play alongside, and I’ll truly miss putting on that Jaguars uniform.” His message then turned emotional as he described the painful year he had in 2024, missing ten games after suffering a broken collarbone.
“This past season has been one of the toughest because getting injured was never what I expected, no matter how common it is. Though I gave all I could to support my teammates from the sideline, not being out there with my guys on the battlefield was never easy.”
➖#Texans WR Christian Kirk:
🗣️ “My preparation for the upcoming season is already underway, and the only way from here is up. I'll be back stronger than ever, and I'm excited for this next chapter with the Texans—I promise it'll be my best one yet.” pic.twitter.com/j5gwyJ0JhE
— sidelinesarah (@sidelinesarah) March 8, 2025
Before the trade, it was clear that Kirk’s time in Jacksonville was coming to an end. Reports were clear that the seven-year veteran was going to be cut by the team. However, a last-minute deal came through, and the Jaguars were able to get a seventh-round pick in return.
On the Texans’ side, the move gives them insurance for a wide receiver room that was devastated by injuries last season. Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins all missed time throughout the year, with Dell and Diggs going down with season-ending ailments.
Houston needed additional reinforcements with Dell’s timeline in jeopardy and Diggs a free agent. Kirk is an under-the-radar option that could significantly impact the team, especially if he plans to keep his first message to his new team. “My preparation for the upcoming season is already underway. And the only way from here is up. I’ll be back stronger than ever, and I’m excited for this next chapter with the Texans.”
With a 1,108-yard season already under his belt in 2022, Kirk has shown his ability to be a true game-changer in this league on a potentially dangerous Texans offense that could instantly elevate them from playoff to Super Bowl contender.
In the end, he had a straightforward promise to make. “I promise it will be my best one yet.”