Getty Christian Kirk is leaving the Cardinals for the Jaguars in free agency.
Christian Kirk appears set to move on from the Arizona Cardinals after four seasons. Instead, the wide receiver is “expected” to join the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
The mammoth deal was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero on Monday, March 14:
It’s one part of an active day for the Jags to mark the start of so-called “legal tampering.” As for the Cardinals, Kirk becomes the second key weapon on offense to find a new home ahead of the market officially opening on Wednesday, March 14.
Kirk’s Productivity Will be Missed
The Cards are likely to miss what Kirk offered as a supporting player in their wideout rotation. He hauled in 77 receptions for 982 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.
Those were invaluable contributions when leading receiver DeAndre Hopkins went down with hamstring and knee injuries. Hopkins missed seven games, and his absence was compounded by Kirk’s fellow free agent, A.J. Green, struggling to meet expectations.
Green made only nine starts and scored just three touchdowns. He didn’t draw the level of attention from defenses the Cardinals were hoping for, but that didn’t stop Kirk exploiting his own matchups.
Kirk proved his versatility and an underrated knack for stretching the field. Yet, he was at his best when working in between the numbers.
Statistics from Ian Hartitz of Pro Football Focus proved where Kirk was most effective:
Christian Kirk in 2021:
In the slot:
91.9 PFF receiving grade
4.77 yards per route run
121.8 QB rating when targeted
Out wide:
62.1 PFF receiving grade
1.16 yards per route run
87.3 QB rating when targeted
Quarterback Kyler Murray will surely miss the reliable, sure-handed target in middle zones Kirk offered the Cardinals’ passing game. Kirk’s always had value, but keeping the 2018 second-round pick was always going to be tough.
The Cardinals have just $9,878,113 worth of space to work with under the salary cap, according to Spotrac.com. That figure made the level of deal the Jags are said to have made to Kirk beyond the means of Cards’ general manager Steve Keim.
PFF’s Brad Spielberger noted it’s important to wait before all the details of the deal are made clear:
Gotta wait for base values folks, Christian Kirk got $18M per year not $21M
Whatever those details are, Bill Barnwell of ESPN is stunned by what Kirk has earned on the open market:
Kirk isn’t the only useful playmaker from the Cardinals offense who got paid on Monday.
Kirk Joins Chase Edmonds in Leaving Arizona
While the receiver room took a hit, the Cardinals had already lost a key member of the offensive backfield. It happened when change-of-pace runner Chase Edmonds moved to the AFC East.
The move was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Miami Dolphins and RB Chase Edmonds reached agreement on a two-year, $12.6 million deal that includes $6.1 million guaranteed, per his agent @DrewJRosenhaus. The former Cardinals’ running back is headed to Miami.
Losing Edmonds means the Cardinals are losing the lone, true breakaway threat in their running game. Numbers from Next Gen Stats highlighted the extra dimension Edmonds brought to the team’s rushing chores:
Replacing Edmonds may be easier than offsetting Kirk’s departure. Especially given the other issues the Cards are dealing with at wide receiver.
Green is also set to enter the market, while Keim has already granted Andy Isabella permission to seek a trade. Now is the time to dip into a position group that features some interesting names in this year’s veteran class, including Will Fuller, Jamison Crowder, Emmanuel Sanders and Juju Smith-Schuster.
Any member of the latter trio would replicate Kirk’s ability to win over the middle and gain yards after the catch.