If there was one move the Jacksonville Jaguars were heavily criticized for this offseason, it was the decision to sign Christian Kirk to a starter-level contract that somewhat shook up the receiver market. With the team in need of a receiver this offseason, they signed Kirk to a four-year deal worth $72 million deal that guarantees $37 million.
As a result, a lot of eyes are now on the young receiver to live up to one of the most talked-about contracts of the offseason. Nolan Murt of The 33rd Team believes he will meet those expectations and recently listed him among four players who he believes will take the next step in 2022.
Here is what Murt had to say about the Jags’ signing of Kirk as he believes the team’s strategy to spend like they did this offseason has some merit.
Think about the top quarterbacks in the game right now, and consider the running mate(s) with which they were paired once they became starters. Rodgers had Jennings, Mahomes had Kelce and Hill, Brady had Brown, Herbert had Keenan Allen, Burrow had Boyd and Higgins before Chase, Watson had Hopkins, and Josh Allen lit it up once he had Diggs. It is truly vital for a young quarterback to have a go-to guy. In Kirk, this is what the Jaguars have provided their field general, and with how heavily Lawrence will lean on him, Kirk is primed to produce at the level his contract suggests.
From his threatening speed to his savvy separability to his excellent ball skills, Kirk owns all the tools to be a quarterback’s dream. As the featured receiver in this offense, his new contract may have started the conversation about him in 2022, but his production this season will continue that conversation for years to come.
Many will point to Kirk’s career with Arizona and say that his body of work doesn’t compare to that of the receivers named by Murt. Kirk has yet to register a season with 1,000 yards since entering the league in 2018 but did come close last season as he registered 982 yards.
While Kirk has yet to establish himself as an elite receiver, he certainly has the chance to. He’s been paired with a generational talent in the eyes of draft analysts and also has a brilliant offensive mind in Doug Pederson calling the plays. When factoring in those two reasons in addition to the Jags’ receivers group being less crowded than Arizona’s, Kirk definitely be a candidate to break out in the eyes of the football community.
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