By Dianna Russini, Zak Keefer and Cale Clinton
The Houston Texans have acquired wide receiver Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, according to league sources. The move comes in lieu of the Jaguars’ initial plans to cut Kirk.
🚨Trade🚨
The Houston Texans are finalizing a trade to acquire Jaguars WR Christian Kirk, per sources. pic.twitter.com/yWNpI5j5KY— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 6, 2025
Kirk signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jaguars in 2022 in an effort by Jacksonville to revitalize the offense around Trevor Lawrence. In his first year with the team, Kirk led Jacksonville in targets (113), receptions (84), receiving yards (1,108) and receiving touchdowns (8) en route to his first-career 1,000-yard season.
However, Kirk has continued to fall in target share over the last two seasons. He saw a reduced role with the emergence of Calvin Ridley and Evan Engram in 2023, then was unable to overtake rookie Brian Thomas Jr. in 2024. Kirk’s 2024 season, cut short by a clavicle fracture in Week 8, saw him catch 27 of 47 targets for 379 yards and a touchdown. His 47.7 yards per game were his fewest since his 2020 season with Arizona.
Kirk now joins a Texans roster that has been looking to fill out its wide receiver room alongside Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Houston acquired Stefon Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for Minnesota’s 2025 second-round pick in April 2024. Diggs showed flashes but was never able to find consistent output in Houston, finishing the season with just 496 yards and three touchdowns on 47 receptions. His season came to an early end in Week 8 after tearing his ACL in a win over the Indianapolis Colts. Houston’s passing attack got even weaker after Dell also suffered a torn ACL and dislocated kneecap in Week 16.
Kirk is in the final year of his deal and was set to be a $24.1 million cap hit for the 2025 season. A pre-June 1 trade saves Jacksonville $10.4 million on the salary cap.
Texans get much-needed offensive help
It was obvious following the Texans’ divisional-round playoff loss in Kansas City where this team needed to improve. Start with an offensive line that was mostly a turnstile in 2024 and allowed a staggering 52 sacks of quarterback C.J. Stroud. But just as important was a glaring need on the outside: wideout Nico Collins was the team’s lone downfield threat, and teams knew if they double-teamed him, the Texans’ offense would sputter. Stroud needed more.
In Kirk, who quickly became one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets after signing a four-year, $72-million deal with the Jaguars in 2023, Stroud gains a critical over-the-middle target. He can give new offensive coordinator Nick Caley some flexibility while third-year wideout Tank Dell works his way back from injury. — Zak Keefer, NFL enterprise writer
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(Photo: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
