Report: Jaguars Agree With WR Christian Kirk to a Massive Deal
The Jacksonville Jaguars have their No. 1 receiver in place, agreeing to terms on Monday with former Arizona Cardinals second-round pick Christian Kirk.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Jaguars agreed to terms with Kirk to an earth-shattering four-year, $72 million deal that could rise as high as $84 million.
UPDATE: According to ProFootballNetwork's Aaron Wilson, Kirk's contract are as seen below. Kirk will have $37 million guaranteed and is the league's 11th-highest paid receiver. 0
The Jaguars have made it no secret that they would be contenders for a big receiver signing this offseason after a year in which No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence was hampered week in and week out by miscues from the wideout room. Now, the Jaguars have made a massive invest at receiver, bringing in a former second-round selection who is fresh off the best year of his career.
Kirk, 25, put up his best numbers as a slot receiver in Arizona's offense last season after three years of the Cardinals experimenting with him on the outside. Operating downfield and in the middle of the field in Arizona's offense, Kirk recorded 77 catches for 982 yards, both career highs, and five touchdowns.
Kirk's rookie year saw him operate partly in Jaguars quarterback coach Mike McCoy's offense. He recorded 43 catches for 590 yards and three touchdowns before the addition of Kyler Murray helped him take a leap in 2019.
With Murray at the helm in 2019, Kirk caught 68 passes for 709 yards and three touchdowns as he saw 40 more targets than the year before. In 2020, Kirk again put up solid numbers with a 48-catch, 621-yard season with six touchdowns.
“Well we have to protect him better and we have to get more explosive players around him – guys that can make explosive plays. It is tough in the National Football League to move the ball 14 plays, 15 plays, 16 plays and score," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said at the NFL scouting combine earlier this month.
"It just doesn’t happen that often. You have to be able to throw a 7-yard dig and turn it into an 80-yard touchdown. You have to have players that can do that. That is the mission this offseason in free agency and the draft – to get more explosive players on both sides of the ball, guys that can change games. That is what you win and lose football games with.”
