Help is on the way for C.J. Stroud.
The Houston Texans are acquiring receiver Christian Kirk from the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday. Jacksonville will receive a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for the speedy receiver, per Pelissero.
The deal cannot become official until the new league year begins on March 12.
A second-round pick of the Cardinals in 2018, Kirk arrived in Jacksonville in 2022 with a target -- or perhaps a dollar sign -- plastered on his back. He signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jaguars that was considered to be well beyond his expected market value, headlining a highly lucrative Jacksonville spending spree that dominated free agency in 2022. When folks mentioned the Jaguars' willingness to open their wallets -- or the rising price of receivers overall -- they almost always pointed to Kirk.
For one year, the money seemed to be worth it. Kirk caught 84 passes for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the Jaguars in receiving and helping Jacksonville jump from worst to first, winning the AFC South and defeating the Chargers in the Wild Card Round.
Everything gradually fell apart from there, though. Kirk was limited to 12 games in 2023, catching 57 passes for 787 yards and three touchdowns, then saw just 47 targets in eight games in 2024, fading into the background just as rookie Brian Thomas Jr. rose to prominence as Jacksonville's most promising receiver.
By the time the 2024 season ended, it was clear Kirk wasn't in Jacksonville's future plans, especially after James Gladstone took over as general manager in early 2025. Jacksonville was expected to release Kirk, but instead shipped him to Houston in a deal that mirrors the trade that sent running back Joe Mixon from Cincinnati to Houston a year earlier.
If he can fit into new coordinator Nick Caley's offense, Kirk should see a higher usage rate in Houston. Nico Collins returns as the Texans' top target, but Tank Dell is currently on a long road back to the field after suffering a second gruesome lower body injury (this time, a knee) in as many seasons, while veteran Stefon Diggs is headed toward free agency.
Kirk should be able to provide Houston with another speedy option at the position for Stroud. The Texans still need to address the offensive line, which was their biggest weakness in 2024, but adding Kirk for the low price of a seventh-round pick -- proper compensation, considering he comes with a contract that will pay him $16.5 million in 2025 -- is a start.
