Former Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey snuck ahead of the free agency frenzy, signing a 2-year contract with the Green Bay Packers on Monday morning. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Kirksey agreed to a 2-year, $16 million deal to join the Packers.
Cleveland cut the former team captain and longest-tenured defensive player last week. Kirksey was due nearly $10 million in 2020 and the Browns didn’t value him to that level after he missed 23 games over the last two seasons with serious injuries. He rejoins with Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who was the Browns head coach when the team drafted “Kirko” in 2014 and under whom he had his prime NFL success.
The full details of the contract are not yet available. It will be interesting to see how much guaranteed money Kirksey gets after his history of injuries. Because he was released, Kirksey was free to sign with any team before the start of free agency later this week.