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The Jacksonville Jaguars are trading wide receiver Christian Kirk to the AFC South rival Houston Texans, per multiple reports.
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The Texans are acquiring Kirk, who was going to be released by Jacksonville this week. In return, the Jaguars are getting a 2026 seventh-round pick, which originally belonged to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Texans are taking on the remainder of Kirk's contract, which will pay him $16.5 million in 2025, the final year of his four-year, $72 million deal.
The Jaguars signed Kirk in March 2022 after he spent the first four years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals.
Across four seasons with the Cardinals after being drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft out of Texas A&M, Kirk reeled in 236 receptions for 2,902 yards and 17 touchdowns, appearing in 56 games.
In three seasons with Jacksonville, Kirk didn't exactly live up to his contract.
After a dominant first year, appearing in all 17 games and catching 84 passes for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, Kirk struggled mightily across the 2023 and '24 seasons.
Overall, Kirk appeared in 20 games over the last two years, finishing with a combined 84 receptions, 1,166 yards, and four touchdowns. He had just 27 catches and 379 receiving yards last season.
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With just one year left on his deal, the Jaguars were planning on cutting Kirk and moving on. However, they were able to find a landing spot for him, even though it came at the expense of sending him to a division rival.
The Texans are in need of receiver help after an injury-filled 2024 season.
Their major offseason acquisition in All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8. Then, their young star in Tank Dell suffered an ugly knee injury in Week 16, which resulted in multiple knee surgeries, his most recent being completed this week. Their 2024 Pro Bowl wide receiver in Nico Collins missed five games.
Now, the Texans will have at least Collins and Kirk in 2025, as well as depth in the form of John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson.
Diggs is a free agent and has a "50/50" chance of returning, per NBC Sports' Matthew Berry.
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For all the latest NFL news as the offseason gets into full swing, head over to Newsweek Sports.
About the writer
Noah Camras is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles. His focus is on sports content. Noah has been with Newsweek since March ... Read more