Report: Jacksonville Jaguars trading Christian Kirk to Houston Texans

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to trade wide receiver Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported. Kirk was set to be released by the Jaguars ahead of the new league year.

NFL free agency will begin next week, and the expectation was the Jaguars would release Kirk before the new league year starts. Instead, they’re sending him to a division rival in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, Russini added.

The Texans are taking on Kirk’s entire contract, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said. He is due $16.5 million in 2025, which marks the final year of his deal.

Kirk spent three seasons in Jacksonville after starting his career with the Arizona Cardinals. His first year was impressive as he led the Jaguars with 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, but his production dipped from there.

This past year, Christian Kirk appeared in just eight games, totaling 379 yards and one touchdown. He saw rookie Brian Thomas Jr. emerge as Trevor Lawrence’s top target and tight end Brenton Strange was the Jaguars’ second-leading receiver.

Jacksonville underwent major changes this offseason after just a 4-13 record in 2024. The franchise moved on from head coach Doug Pederson and later parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke, as well. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is now in as head coach and hoping to lead a turnaround.

With a new coach coming in, though, the Jaguars still plan to build around Lawrence. The former Clemson star is sure to be a focal point of Coen’s offense, and speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, he said Lawrence will also be part of the conversation around roster-building.

“He is our guy,” Coen told reporters in Indianapolis, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s the franchise, and as much as we can involve him in the process without maybe putting too much on his plate, he’s a new father, now a husband, he’s just getting into it. But he’s hungry. He’s hungry. He wants to be playing at the highest level possible, and how do we include him in some of those conversations, specifically with some of the skill players and obviously on the offensive line?

“So, he will definitely be involved in some of that while just being mindful of not putting too much on him, because he’s going to be learning a completely new system and having to go through a new transition again.”