The Jaguars have avoided the worst-case scenario with Trevor Lawrence. The ascending quarterback suffered a high ankle sprain and has been deemed day to day. Once Lawrence returns, he may not have one of his go-to wide receivers available.
Christian Kirk sustained a core muscle injury during Jacksonville’s overtime loss Monday night, and Doug Pederson said (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) the sixth-year wide receiver will likely need surgery. It has not yet been confirmed Kirk will go under the knife, but the former second-round pick will miss time.
Players regularly return from core surgeries after a number of weeks, so the prospect of Kirk being shut down for a bit — likely via an IR stay — and then coming back later this season may be in play. The team continues to evaluate its 2022 free agency pickup, who has played well since signing a widely scrutinized four-year, $72MM deal. It might not be a lock Kirk comes back, however, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport positing an eight-week recovery timetable could be in play here. Unless the Jaguars qualify for Super Bowl LVIII, such a timeline would end Kirk’s season.
Working in the slot frequently in Jacksonville this season, Kirk has joined Calvin Ridley as Lawrence’s top targets. Kirk resided as the Jags’ No. 1 wideout last season, when he finished with 1,108 receiving yards and eight touchdowns before helping the team erase a 27-point Chargers lead in a historic playoff comeback. This season, Kirk leads the team with 787 yards. Whereas Ridley has been more boom or bust in his first Jags season, Lawrence has been able to rely on Kirk regularly. No Jaguars pass catcher has totaled 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Jimmy Smith in the mid-2000s; this injury could certainly affect Kirk’s chances of matching that feat.
As they were last year, the Jaguars are in good shape regarding injury activations. They have five such moves remaining. Although Kirk going on IR would deal a blow to the Jags’ chances of repeating as division champions for the first time since the late 1990s, the team has Ridley and Zay Jones in place. Jones, who missed extensive time this season, has returned to a regular role. Rookie Parker Washington also scored a touchdown and caught six passes for 61 yards — his first receptions as a pro — against the Bengals. Washington is expected to take over as Jacksonville’s primary slot receiver, ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco notes. While the sixth-round pick showed promise Monday, DiRocco adds he ran an incorrect route on the play Lawrence suffered the ankle injury.
Kirk, 27, has not missed a game since the 2020 season. He resides as a key long-term piece for the Jags, who have Ridley in a contract year. The dependable target missing an extended stretch could certainly threaten the Jags’ hopes of winning the division, with a potential Lawrence absence compounding the issue. Lawrence has never missed an NFL game.
Jacksonville has bigger problems with a D that got lit up by a backup QB last night.