Does Christian Kirk Need More Respect Put On His Name?

Does Christian Kirk Need More Respect Put On His Name?

Christian Kirk just wrapped up his first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was initially drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2018 draft and then signed a huge new contract with the Jaguars last offseason.

This signing was seen as a head-scratcher by a lot of people as football fans thought they overpaid Kirk. They gave him top wide receiver money when a lot of people did not view him as a top wide receiver.

Kirk talked about his signing with the Jaguars when he was speaking with Kay Adams on FanDuel TV.

“Well, it’s funny because I still feel like I don’t get the respect that I desrve and it’s kind of been that way,” Kirk said.

Quote via ‘Up & Adams’/FanDuel YouTube

Kirk believes he is disrespected as a wide receiver in this league. I do not hear his name when people have top wide receiver discussions so maybe he is an underrated player in the league. Kirk was a No. 1 option on a playoff team this year and that is something a top wideout would have on their résumé. 

Also, Kirk had 84 receptions, 1108 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. That is good enough for the top-15 among wide receivers in receptions and yards and the top-10 among wide receivers in touchdowns. Ultimately, Kirk might not be in the upper echelon of wideouts, but it seems he has a right to be named among the top-15 receivers in the league.

Will Christian Kirk be a top wide receiver next year?

Kirk had a solid four-year career for the Cardinals on his rookie contract. He never broke 100 receptions or 1,000 yards but he showed potential to be a great wide receiver. In 2022, he set career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

Can he improve on these numbers in 2023? It will be interesting to see if he can improve his stats and gain the respect of NFL fans.

AJ Green retires from the NFL

He has the benefit of playing with one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, Trevor Lawrence. However, the Jaguars traded for former Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley, so Kirk might have some competition for targets. This is the first we will see of Ridley after he was suspended by the NFL, but this could be a wide receiver 1A and 1B situation.

Altogether, I do not have Kirk in my top-15 wide receivers but if he delivers another great season, then I will give him the respect he deserves.

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