Healthy and Rejuvenated Christian Kirk Is Ready to Create a Spark For Jaguars Offense

Christian Kirk is fully recovered from last year's injury and is set to make a big impact.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) on the field on the fifth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Monday, July 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.. / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY

Prior to suffering a groin injury last season, Christian Kirk was leading all Jaguars wide receivers in receptions and receiving yards. He was on pace to put up similar numbers to his breakout season in 2022 (84 receptions, 1108 yards and 8 touchdowns) before having to miss the final five games of the season.

While off-season additions like Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr have the opportunity to contribute, the departure of Calvin Ridley has left a clear path for Kirk to be the teams leading receiver this year.  Although the injury forced the seventh-year veteran to miss the most consecutive amount of games in his career, he seems content with his health. 

“I feel great, I feel strong, I feel fast. Not in pain anymore. I’m really just excited because my body hasn’t felt this good in a long time, so I’m just really looking forward to building throughout training camp” said Kirk. 

He may feel comfortable with his progress now, but his road to recovery began seven months ago. Kirk underwent surgery back in December, notably beginning his rehabilitation process just two days after the procedure. 

Although he is healed, Kirk is still implementing preventative measures to ensure that he stays on the field this season. Prior to this injury, Kirk had not missed a game in nearly three seasons. 

“I really take pride in my approach, the way I rehab, the way I prehab, the way I activate and get ready for practice. It’s about a two-hour routine that I do before I get out every day, so I’m doing everything, checking all the boxes to make sure that my body’s ready to go” said Kirk.

As Kirk enters his third year with Trevor Lawrence as his quarterback, it has become clear that the two have established some chemistry, and a solid understanding of each other's styles of play. His savvy route-running ability and reliable hands (95% True Catch Rate) help explain why most quarterbacks would be fond of having a weapon like him.

“We've been on the same page for a while now. We’re just looking forward to kind of being the tone setters, and when you need a play, it’s on us to be able to connect and light a spark.” said Kirk.

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