Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) lies on the turf after sustaining an unknown injury as tight end Evan Engram (17) reacts during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Packers edged the Jaguars 30-27 on a last-second field goal. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] The Houston Texans have acquired wide receiver Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick, ESPN and The Athletic reported on Thursday.
The pick originally belonged to the Los Angeles Rams.
On Wednesday, the Jaguars announced they would release Kirk when the NFL free agency period kicks off on March 12. They instead found an interested suitor in the Texans and proceeded with the trade.
Kirk, 28, had 379 receiving yards, 27 receptions and one touchdown in eight games last season before breaking his collarbone in Week 8. He missed the remainder of the season and enters the final year of his contract.
The 5-foot-11 wideout carries a $16.2 million cap hit in 2025 after signing a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jags in 2022. He recorded 84 catches, 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season with the team — all career highs — as Jacksonville won the AFC South.
He missed the final five games of the 2023 season with an oblique injury and the Jaguars didn’t meet offseason expectations in 2024, stumbling to a 4-13 record.
Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. led Jacksonville in receiving yards (1,282) and touchdowns (10) in 2024 — cracking the NFL’s top 10 in both categories. Gabe Davis, Parker Washington, Devin Duvernay and Josh Reynolds are also on the depth chart as free agency and the NFL Draft approach.
The Texans have Nico Collins atop their wide receiver core and it’s murky after that. Stefon Diggs is a free agent and Tank Dell faces question marks for the 2025 campaign after suffering a major knee injury in December. He underwent a second surgery on Wednesday, to repair a torn ACL, after a prior surgery to repair other torn ligaments. He is expected to miss the season.
Kirk was selected in the second round of the 2018 draft and spent the first four seasons of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, where he posted 236 receptions, 2,902 receiving yards and 17 scores.
–Field Level Media
