Texans Weapon Named Bizarre Trade Candidate Before Playing a Single Game

This Houston Texans weapon has already been named a potential trade candidate before even taking the field for the team.

Dec 17, 2017; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Houston Texans helmets lay on the field during the first quarter at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans were forced to revamp their receiving corps this offseason, as they lost Stefon Diggs to free agency, and Tank Dell will likely miss all of 2025 while recovering from a horrendous knee injury.

While the Texans added a couple of exciting wide receivers in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel during the NFL Draft, they actually began their overhaul much earlier when they acquired Christian Kirk in a shrewd trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars back in early March.

Kirk is expected to serve as the No. 2 receiver behind Nico Collins at the start of next season, and when healthy, he has proven to be a pretty effective weapon.

But could Houston actually attempt to part ways with Kirk before he even gets a chance to play a single game with the club? Sterling Xie of Pro Football Network thinks so, naming Kirk the Texans' most expendable player after the draft.

"However, that means no other wide receiver on the roster is assured of a place on the team. That includes veteran Christian Kirk, whom the Texans just acquired in a trade for a seventh-round pick with the Jacksonville Jaguars back in March," Xie wrote. "That’s a tiny investment, and it didn’t stop the Texans from picking a slot receiver prospect in Noel, who could easily make Kirk redundant. There was no way for Houston to know they were picking Noel, of course. Now, though, the Texans could flip Kirk to a team that didn’t address its slot receiver needs in the draft and recoup their Day 3 pick if Noel proves ready to play."

It would be very surprising if Houston decided to move Kirk considering that neither Higgins nor Noel have established anything on the professional level just yet. You would think the Texan would want a reliable weapon in place for C.J. Stroud, and Kirk comprises just that.

The 28-year-old is three seasons removed from hauling in 84 receptions for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, and had it not been for injuries limiting him to 12 games the following year, he probably would have posted similar numbers.

Last season, Kirk caught 27 passes for 379 yards and a score in just eight games, as his campaign was cut short due to a broken collarbone.

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