Free agent wide receiver Christian Kirk opened a lot of eyes when news broke of his new contract with the Jacksonville jaguars. Kirk agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jaguars. The deal could be worth up to $84 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The numbers on Kirk’s deal are perplexing, considering he has never had a 1,000-yard season. In fact he has never been the lead option in Arizona. Thus the reaction that followed the news of his contract appeared fitting.
Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves took note in the best interest of his teammate wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
“Terry [gonna] need a brinks truck,” Reaves tweeted.
McLaurin has emerged as Washington’s top wide receiver from the moment he stepped on the team in 2019. He and the rest of his big-named wide receivers, particularly from that 2019 draft class, must be chomping at the bit with Kirk’s deal.
A second-round draft pick in 2018, Kirk played four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before reaching free agency. The Cardinals already have the league’s highest-paid wide receiver making over $27 million per year. So, considering the amount of money Kirk landed from Jacksonville, it was not feasible for Arizona.
McLaurin had two 1,000-yard seasons in his first three years. He’s done so with eight different quarterbacks throwing him passes. The Commanders have already had contract extension talks with McLaurin’s agent.
Others from that 2019 class such as San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel, Tennessee’s AJ Brown and Seattle’s DK Metcalf surely have taken notice.
Look, Christian Kirk maximized his value. The Jaguars had the salary cap space and they used it. They were big spenders in Day 1 of the legal tampering period, including signing away Commanders All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff.
But paying Kirk $17 to $21 million per year only expands the NFL’s wide receiver market moving forward. McLaurin and others will look to cash in as well.
