Report: Jaguars send Kirk to Texans for seventh-round pick after announcing intent to release
Published
The Jacksonville Jaguars are trading wide receiver Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans for a seventh-round pick in next year's draft, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The pick in the trade originally belonged to the Los Angeles Rams.
It was announced Wednesday that the Jaguars intended to release Kirk when free agency begins on Mar. 12, but changed course after finding a suitable trade partner in the Texans.
Kirk signed a four-year, $72 million deal in free agency in 2022. He delivered 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns — all career highs — that season but he's missed 14 games since.
He missed the final five games in 2023 because of a core muscle injury and missed the final nine games last year after breaking a collarbone while trying to make a diving catch on a deep pass.
The Jaguars looked to move him at the trade deadline in late October, but the injury ended any chances of making that work. They discussed having him rework his contract to remain on the roster in 2025, but the sides failed to reach an agreement.
The 28-year-old Kirk has 404 catches for 5,176 yards and 29 touchdowns in seven seasons, including four with Arizona. He clearly became Trevor Lawrence’s second option behind standout rookie Brian Thomas Jr. this season.
Kirk has a chance to produce joining a Texans receivers room that has a lot of question marks after last season.
Of the top three options for quarterback CJ Stroud a season ago - Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs - only one is expected to contribute this year.
Collins will likely be ready to play when camp opens in August, but missed five games with a hamstring problem a year ago. Dell suffered a major knee injury in the team's Week 16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that required significant reconstructive surgery. He may miss the entire 2025-26 season after having a second surgery on the knee earlier in March.
Diggs was cut from the team and is a free agent after suffering a torn ACL that cost him the final nine games on the season last year.