Jaguars' Christian Kirk is dealing with a 'minor' calf injury

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to bounce back in 2024 after a rough end to their 2023 campaign. After Week 12 last season, the Jaguars were 8-3 and were in first place in the AFC South. However, the Jags went on to lose five of their last six games. A stunning upset by the Titans in Week 18 lost the Jacksonville division and a playoff berth. 

It’s a brand new season for the Jaguars who have the 14th easiest schedule in the NFL this season according to Sharp Football Analysis. Trevor Lawrence will be heading into year four losing his top WR target from 2023. The WR1 of Jacksonville’s depth chart is Christian Kirk. At a press conference on Thursday morning, head coach Doug Pederson told reporters that Kirk is dealing with a “minor” calf injury. Pederson made it seem like this wasn’t of too much concern for the Jads. A positive sign for Kirk.

Christian Kirk is dealing with a ‘minor’ calf injury and is day-to-day

Christian Kirk dealing with mild calf injury. https://t.co/oGrlZPzXgq

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 15, 2024

To start his professional career, Christian Kirk was a second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals out of Texas A&M. Krik played four seasons in Arizona and appeared in 56 games. His best season with the Cardinals was in 2021 with 77 receptions for 982 yards and five receiving touchdowns. After that season, Krik signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jaguars. In his first season with Jacksonville, Kirk played in all 17 games and was Trevor Lawrence’s top target. Kirk’s 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight receiving touchdowns were all career-highs in 2022.

In 2023, Krik played in 12 of the Jags’ 17 games. He missed five games with a core injury. The 27-year-old still finished the season with 57 catches for 787 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Now that Calvin Ridley has moved on from the Jags, Kirk is in a position to be Jacksonville’s WR1 again. Gabe Davis signed with the Jags this offseason and he’s primarily been a WR2 for his career. Additionally, the Jags used the 23rd pick in the 2024 draft to take LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. The rookie has shown promise throughout camp but Christain Kirk has the most experience with Trevor Lawrence. For now, Krik is day-to-day with a calf injury but the team is not overly concerned. They’ll give the WR some time to heal ahead of the season starting in a few weeks. Can Christian Kirk get back to another 1,000+ yard campaign with the Jags?