The Cardinals have been a topic of conversation largely due to the Kyler Murray situation. They have a number of other pressing matters on their roster, though, including some key decisions in the wide receiver room. NFL Network’s Tom Pelisseo lists Christian Kirk as someone who could fetch a large offer on the open market if he leaves Arizona. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Shopping WR Andy Isabella]
Specifically, Rapoport states that “it wouldn’t be a shock” if Kirk, 25, were to land a contract of $15MM per year or more. That figure far outweighs the cap space Arizona currently has (just under $5.5MM), which – coupled with the other moves the team figures to make in the coming days and weeks – points to Kirk hitting the open market.
A second round pick in 2018, Kirk put up solid complimentary numbers in his first three seasons in the desert. His best campaign of that stretch came in 2019, when he posted 69 catches for 709 yards. He took a step forward in 2021, however, notching career-highs in receptions (77) and yards (982) while finding the endzone five times. This season was the first in which Kirk played a full campaign.
While the Cardinals may be inclined to let Kirk walk if he received sizeable offers from other teams, doing so could leave them surprisingly short on pass catchers. Behind DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore, the next wideout under contract for 2022 (assuming Andy Isabella is traded) is Antoine Wesley. Veteran A.J. Green, along with tight end Zach Ertz are both pending free agents, though they could each conceivably be brought back considering their production last year.
If Kirk does sign a lucrative contract as Pelissero suggests, it would be one of the most notable deals within a free agent class which has, in recent days, shrunk in size to include the likes of Allen Robinson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and DJ Chark. It would also likely leave the Cardinals in search of a less expensive complementary piece to maintain one of the league’s most potent passing attacks.
Kirk is a solid player with big play ability, but with the draft now full of receiving talent every year, you’re really going to pay him $15 million a year? It feels a bit like Washington paying so much for Samuel last year. Perfectly good player, but…
Every year. Just churn them if they aren’t studs.
Kirk is no stud.
Seemed like he was in and out of the doghouse until this year. If you find him frustrating on his rookie deal, imagine how you’ll feel when he’s making high end number two receiver money.
Miami might go out and sign Kirk to pair him with Waddle + Gesicki. That or they go after Allen Robinson.
what they need is amari cooper
Kirk is pretty good as a second or third option, but I’m not sure if Arizona helped or hurt his receiving stats. The offense his rookie year was bad, and the Murray offense is certainly not as traditional for a player who may work best out of the slot running intermediate routes. Did Murray help his stats or hurt them? Would Kirk benefit from a pocket passer allowing him to run more complex routes? I honestly don’t know, which is why I would be hesitant to offer him $15 million a year without being extremely sure that he could help. I think somebody will, but I’m not sure that it’d ultimately be worth it.
I don’t think that Kirk would net a franchise deal, but something along the lines of a three year above average receiver contract would not surprise me. As for the Cardinals…attempting to retain Kirk, re-sign Murray, AND go after Bobby Wagner seems to show great impulsiveness for a team with that little cap space.
Kirk is mediocre and does not belong on the same list as those other WRs. Realistically JuJu is pretty mediocre..and Kirk is nowhere near as good as he is. Sometimes it seems like PFR is simply a platform for agents to attempt to get their players attention. This is one of those times.