With NFL free agency looming, early March is always the time when plenty of big names fall victim to roster cuts for financial reasons. In 2025, Christian Kirk will be one of those names.
The Jaguars plan to release the veteran wide receiver with the offseason soon to be in full swing, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Kirk spent three seasons in Jacksonville after four with the Cardinals. Over his seven-year career, he’s been successful running deep routes as well as performing out of the slot. He’ll now hit the open market, joining a deep class of free-agent wide receivers.
Here’s a look at why the Jaguars are cutting ties with Kirk.
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Why did the Jaguars cut Christian Kirk?
Injuries held Kirk to just eight games in 2024, so his impact was limited. But he did remain a productive player when on the field. While Jacksonville could have kept Kirk around for one more season as a weapon for Trevor Lawrence, his release gives them more room to work with in free agency.
Schefter reported that Kirk’s release saves the Jaguars over $10.4 million against the cap. As Jacksonville seeks to turn the franchise around after a 4-13 season, Kirk was on the expensive side for a wide receiver, especially when he hasn’t been elite. The Jaguars also have the luxury of owning another star receiver that’s coming off a stellar rookie season in Brian Thomas Jr.
With Thomas already being one of the best receivers in the league, the Jaguars will likely seek cheaper options at wide receiver than Kirk, who signed a significant contract with the team before the 2022 season.
Now armed with over $10 million more to work with in the offseason, Jacksonville may look to replace Kirk with another free-agent receiver or draft one in April.
Christian Kirk contract
Kirk signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jaguars in 2022 free agency. He’s been around in Jacksonville since then, and he was set to hit free agency after the 2025 season prior to being released.
Kirk would have had a cap hit of $24,119,294 in 2025, per Spotrac. Instead, he’ll seek a new deal in free agency.
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Christian Kirk stats 2024
Kirk’s 379 receiving yards and one touchdown in 2024 were career-lows, but he played in just eight games. His 14.0 yards per catch were a career-high.
| Games | Receptions | Yards | AVG | TDs |
| 8 | 27 | 379 | 14.0 | 1 |
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