The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to release Christian Kirk per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Kirk led the team in all receiving categories in his first year in town, but his past two seasons were cut short due to injuries. Jacksonville will save $10.4 million in 2025 salary cap space by moving on from the 28-year-old before June 1st.
Suddenly, the Jaguars have a roster hole at wide receiver. Second-year star Brian Thomas Jr. will partially fill Kirk’s void by playing more snaps from the slot alignment, but the offense still needs starting-caliber options to play alongside him. There isn’t an obvious second option behind Thomas Jr. in the Jaguars’ receiver room right now.
Whether Jacksonville finds their new No. 2 via an internal promotion, a trade acquisition, a free agent signing, and/or a draft pick remains to be seen... but here are a few names to monitor.
Current Roster
The Jaguars wisely looked ahead during the 2022 NFL Draft when they selected Parker Washington in the sixth round. The Penn State product was a natural successor to Kirk as a smaller-bodied wideout who could win quick routes from the slot.
Unfortunately for Washington, times have changed. Jacksonville’s new front office may not envision the same strategy in head coach Liam Coen’s updated offensive scheme.
Washington is yesterday’s slot receiver. He’s the cliché Wes Welker type; he’d be best utilized in a spread West Coast system so he has plenty of space to work over the middle of the field against bigger-boded defenders like linebackers and safeties.
Coen is looking for today’s slot receiver, which entails several roles. Can you not just run routes out of the slot, but also knife across the backfield for a cut block against a defensive end? Can you fake that block and pop out to the flat? Can you be impactful as both a receiver and a blocker in the screen game? Can you be a threat on jet sweeps? Can you line up on the end of the line of scrimmage and double-team opposing linemen like you’re a tight end?
The offensive system that Coen runs is built on versatility. To have a versatile offense, you need versatile players. Washington is a decent playmaker who deserves a spot on an NFL roster, but I’m pessimistic that he can carry out all the assignments Coen might desire.
Other wide receivers to monitor on the roster: Gabe Davis, Josh Reynolds, Josh Cephus
Trade Market
There are some big-name receivers available this offseason. Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs, Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin, DeAndre Hopkins, Cooper Kupp, and DK Metcalf are all looking for new contracts.
Kupp is one of three players listed (joining Higgins and Metcalf) who technically remains under contract — they’re all just looking for long-term security and/or salary raises.
The Rams’ former receiving Triple Crown winner and Super Bowl MVP would be a perfect fit in Jacksonville. Kupp can carry out all those extra assignments that Coen (who previously coached under Sean McVay in Los Angeles) would want. Plus, his veteran leadership is something the entire organization should be interested in adding. New general manager James Gladstone has made it evident that intangibles are the top priority when looking for new additions to the building.
The big hiccup with Kupp is that he’s missed 19 games across the past three seasons. The 31-year-old is nearing the end of his career. Still, if the Jaguars can acquire him for a Day 3 draft pick without breaking the piggy bank to give him a new contract, and get him for at least 12 games in 2025, that would be a major win in the first year of the Coen era.
Other wide receivers to monitor in the trade market: Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf, Tyreek Hill
Free Agency
The belle of the ball in free agency for the Jaguars will be Chris Godwin, who Coen will surely attempt to recruit from Tampa Bay. The Bucs’ slot man was on pace to shatter his previous career records in Coen’s 2024 offense before dislocating his ankle in Week 7.
The Bucs will be borderline desperate to bring him back (especially if Coen’s Jaguars are in the race to sign him) and Godwin figures to be interested in a reunion as well. So we’ll instead focus our attention on Giants free agent Darius Slayton, who is far less likely to return to his former team.
New York’s former second-round pick has stayed on the field through horrific offensive seasons largely due to his speed. Slayton ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine, and since he entered the league, his 15.0 career yards per reception ranks 19th among 180 wideouts (min. 100 targets).
Last month, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler hinted, “Expect Jacksonville to look for a speed receiver.” Slayton wouldn’t be a direct replacement to Kirk — he’d be deployed on the perimeter rather than doing dirty work closer to the line of scrimmage — but his ability to make plays downfield would go a long way toward springing Thomas Jr. open across the entirety of the field.
If money were no object, Kupp and Slayton would be ideal veteran fits in Jacksonville. Whether those two names become Jaguars or not, expect the team to look for a modern slot and a perimeter speedster to round out their receiver room (i.e., Thomas Jr.) this offseason.
Other wide receivers to monitor in free agency: Tyler Lockett, Josh Palmer, Demarcus Robinson
NFL Draft
Parker Washington, Gabe Davis, and tight end Evan Engram are still under contract as of this writing. The Jaguars don’t have to add a pass-catcher this month (especially considering it’s far from their only roster hole). Though there are several feasible veteran options, Jacksonville will probably address the position with one of its 10 draft picks.
If “versatility” and “intangibles” are what the Jaguars seek, they may have a hard time passing on Elic Ayomanor with the 36th overall pick. His work ethic is evident given how much he’s improved across his three seasons at Stanford, and he still has room to grow.
Ayomanor wins as a route runner with pace rather than burst, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t play with urgency. His competitiveness is displayed in each phase of his game (blocking included) and he’s got an ideal build with enough long speed to be a surefire top-50 selection.
Elic Ayomanor vs Travis Hunter ('23)
7 targets, 7 catches, 145 yards, 2 TDs
Relentlessly beat him on slants on 2 clutch 4th Q drives and then a TD in OT. Doing this to the best player in the class as a Redshirt Freshman says a lot. Elic's a Top 30 player, Top 5 WR for me pic.twitter.com/cddUCTTUu6
— Jordan Pun (@Texans_Thoughts) February 16, 2025
Other wide receivers to monitor in the draft: Tet McMillan, Jack Bech, Xavier Restrepo
How do you think Kirk should be replaced, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments below!