3 Observations on Jaguars' Offense Post-Christian Kirk

The first major domino of the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason has fallen.

The news broke Wednesday of the Jaguars planning to release veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk, answering one of the biggest questions facing the new regime of Liam Coen, James Gladstone and Tony Boselli.

What do we make of the Jaguars moving on from their prized pick-up of the 2022 offseason? We take a look below.

If it wasn't already clear, this is Brian Thomas' passing game

It is a new era for the Jaguars' passing game. We will see what happens with Evan Engram, though it would not do much good to lose two experienced leaders and starters in one offseason. But even with the possibility of an Engram return, the Kirk move signifies a clear shift in direction for the Jaguars.

Namely, it is clearer now than ever that the Jaguars' passing game will flow through Brian Thomas Jr. first and foremost. Thomas was not fed like the true No. 1 he is until late in the season when Kirk was already lost with injury, but Thomas displaying elite traits made it clear the Jaguars would pivot to him.

With Kirk and his high cap now out of the picture in the Jaguars' pecking order, Thomas lost his biggest in-house competitor for targets. The Thomas era has begun.

This was the first tough decision of the new regime

There are a lot of tough decisions that face front offices across football every single offseason. But when a franchise has a completely new group of decision-makers like the Jaguars have, that makes the first tough calls even more interesting and impactful. These kind of moves can set the tone, after all.

That is the hand the Jaguars' new regime was dealt when it came to Kirk. In Kirk, the Jaguars had a wide receiver who had a great relationship on- and off-field with the quarterback, had been a team leader and a face of the offense, and who had produced a career-year in the not-so distant past.

Still, Kirk was set to be one of the biggest contracts on the books for the 2024 squad and injuries and the emergence of Thomas made it hard to justify keeping Kirk at his current price. He is still a good player, but the Jaguars no longer had to operate like the 2022 Jaguars anymore.

How the Jaguars ultimately replace Kirk will decide if this was the right move or not, but we now at least see this regime is content with shedding the pillars of the last regime to remake the team in their image. That is valuable insight moving forward.

How will Jaguars replace Kirk?

The Jaguars could have a few different options to replace Kirk, but there are three that currently make the most sense. The first is to simply let 2023 sixth-rounder Parker Washington take Kirk's role as the starting slot receiver. Washington is a good player who has produced as a spot starter.

The Jaguars could also look to replace Kirk with a big name. The two who make the most sense are Chris Godwin and Cooper Kupp, but there are questions with both. Will Godwin actually hit free agency? How much of Kupp's deal will the Rams take on in a trade?

Finally, the Jaguars could look to take a receiver early in the 2025 NFL Draft. This may not have to mean at No. 5, either, considering the Jaguars hold three picks on Day 2. Whatever route the Jaguars take, they will likely explore all three at one point or another.

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