JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — From day one Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has said they're going to build around quarterback Trevor Lawrence. In 2022 one of the Jaguars big free agent pickups was wide receiver Christian Kirk.
In 2024 Kirk was well on his way to putting up even better numbers than he had in 2022 when he set the bar in targets, catches, receiving yards, touchdowns and games started. Then came the week 13, the Jaguars faced the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Doug Pederson's team was 8-3 at the time and with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals Jacksonville would have locked up the best record in the AFC.
But in the first quarter Kirk when down with a core muscle injury. With some intensive rehab Kirk eventually returned to practice and there was hope he would get back on the field, only the Jaguars would place Kirk on the injured reserve list. Kirk did not play another game. The Jaguars would lose five of their final six games and missed the playoffs in what proved to be one of the worst collapses in the franchise's history. But a healthy Christian Kirk in 2024 is just what coach Pederson’s offense needs.