NFL analyst names a cut candidate for the Jaguars that saves money toward the salary cap but weakens the offense
The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing an important offseason in 2025. It's a new era with head coach Liam Coen and a soon-to-be-named general manager. The Jaguars are in solid shape with their salary cap at roughly $41 million, but they could create even more. The NFL's free agent legal tampering period starts on March 10, […]
The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing an important offseason in 2025.
It's a new era with head coach Liam Coen and a soon-to-be-named general manager. The Jaguars are in solid shape with their salary cap at roughly $41 million, but they could create even more.
The NFL's free agent legal tampering period starts on March 10, with signings able to become official on March 12, marking the beginning of the new league year. NFL.com analyst Matt Okada believes that one way Jacksonville could put some more money in its pocket for free agency is by cutting wide receiver Christian Kirk.
"To be frank, it was shocking to see the Jaguars sign Christian Kirk to a four-year, $72 million contract in 2022," Okada wrote. "His best campaign at that point had come the previous year, when he finished with 982 receiving yards and five touchdowns. And while it looked somewhat promising when he broke out for 1,108 yards and eight scores in his first season in Jacksonville, Kirk has missed 14 games and totaled just four touchdowns in the two years since. Jacksonville found its true No. 1 receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. in last year’s draft, and while Kirk is a good WR2, he’s not worth the $24.1 million cap hit he brings in 2025. Cutting him will result in $13.7 million in dead money but will also bring $10.4 million in cap space for a franchise seeking a fresh start."
While it's true that Thomas Jr. has emerged as the Jaguars' top weapon, it would still be a hit to their WR corps to lose Kirk. Beyond Thomas Jr. and Kirk, playmaker are scarce across Jacksonville's offense. However, the Jags could spend some money on new playmakers who could potentially be a better fit for Coen's system.
Given Kirk's injury issues and production decline over the past two years, it may be a good time to move on from him. $24.1 million is a large sum to pay a player who hasn't been reliable. However, replacing him with an upgrade will be crucial as Coen looks to get quarterback Trevor Lawrence back on track.
Jaguars are officially one step closer to making a big decision that will have a massive impact on the future of the franchise
The Jacksonville Jaguars already landed their new head coach this offseason by hiring former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen. They are officially one step closer to finding their next general manager. The team released five candidates who will move on to the next round of their ongoing search. Jaguars name 5 finalists for […]
