The Jacksonville Jaguars made some big free agency moves on Monday.
First came the news that the team was shoring up its offensive line to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence by signing five-time Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, formerly of the Washington Commanders.
Then we heard that the Jags were signing defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi to a three-year, $30 million contract. The former New York Jets defender is considered one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL at stopping the run.
Then came the news that the team was signing linebacker Foye Oluokun to a three-year, $45 million deal. The 26-year-old was a standout for the Atlanta Falcons, recording 309 total tackles over the past two seasons.
But then came the news that Jacksonville had signed wide receiver Christian Kirk. And while Kirk is a solid free agent get, garnering 984 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Arizona Cardinals, the numbers on the contract are eye-popping.
That is an enormous number for a guy with 236 receptions, 2,902 yards, and 17 touchdowns over four seasons. And the reaction to those numbers certainly got the NFL world talking about whether or not the Jags got fleeced, what this means for the wide receiver free agency market, and how guys like Davante Adams, who recently got franchise-tagged, must feel seeing this.
As many have pointed out, while Kirk’s contract looks wild, it’s probably going to get eclipsed soon enough by some of the other ones coming down the pike from wideouts with even better stats.
The deal will get leap-frogged but wild to think Christian Kirk is the third highest paid receiver in the league.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) March 14, 2022
If you’re a wide receiver in the NFL putting up decent numbers, get excited about what the Christian Kirk deal means for you.