The Christian Kirk Era is officially over in Jacksonville, as the team decided to release the veteran following an injury-plagued season. Originally selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Kirk made headlines when he signed a four-year, $72 million deal that effectively reshaped the wide receiver market. While he was productive in his first two years with the team, injuries limited him to just 27 receptions for 379 yards and one touchdown in eight games.
Kirk is still a good player if he can stay healthy, but he wasn’t worth his massive cap hit. First-year head coach Liam Coen decided the $10.4 million in cap savings mattered more than Kirk’s presence, and that’s an easy decision to defend following the breakout of 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas. While Kirk won’t receive another $72 million, these five teams could attempt to secure his services.
Jaguars Release Christian Kirk – 5 Suitors Emerge
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals brought Christian Kirk into the league and they could help the former second-round pick revitalize his career following his Jaguars release. Marvin Harrison Jr had a solid rookie season, but he didn’t live up to his outlandish pre-draft billing. Outside of Harrison, the Cardinals have a collection of adequate role players but nobody who feels like a real starter. Kirk’s days as the top option in a passing attack are long gone, but the veteran could be a nice complementary weapon opposite Harrison.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, but every other position on offense could use an upgrade. Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, and Kayshon Boutte are perhaps the league’s least intimidating wide receiver trio and Christian Kirk would probably be the best receiver on this team. The veteran couldn’t fix New England’s offense by himself but he’d be a good first step in the right direction.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have a reliable offensive building block in second-round pick Ladd McConkey, but he won’t be enough to close the gap between Jim Harbaugh’s squad and the AFC elite. Harbaugh wants to win games with a strong ground game, but nobody can get by without the semblance of a passing attack. Herbert is one of the league’s better quarterbacks, and surrounding his two capable weapons should only bring out the best in the former first-round pick.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints could benefit from a bloated group of free agent wide receivers. Following his Jaguars release, Christian Kirk joins an ever-increasing list of available veterans, and there may be more players on the market than interesting teams. Kirk may be an overlooked member of this class, which could allow the cash-strapped Saints to sign him to a cheap one-year contract. Chris Olave can do a little bit of everything and Rashid Shaheed is a solid deep threat, but Kirk could be the possession receiver this team desperately needs.
Kansas City Chiefs
Even with the Joe Thuney trade, the Kansas City Chiefs are right at the salary cap line and probably won’t be big spenders. The reigning AFC champions must re-sign key free agents like Nick Bolton and could lose older players like DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown. If that happens, Christian Kirk could be the perfect free agent signing to handle some of those targets. Mahomes threw more short passes than ever last year, so a player like Kirk who can quickly separate could be the best thing for this offense.
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