The Jacksonville Jaguars needed to acquire second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence some more weapons and better protection after he struggled during his rookie season. The former Clemson star had a rough Year 1 completing less than 60% of his passes for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions.
General manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson checked off those boxes by bringing in five-time Pro Bowler guard Brandon Scherff, wide receivers Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and tight end Evan Engram. Kirk highlighted the Jaguars haul at wide receiver and met with local media to discuss his decision to join Jacksonville.
His contract that the Jaguars signed him to was one of the most controversial points during the first week of free agency. They signed him to a four-year, $72-million deal with $37 million guaranteed and an average annual value of $18 million, which makes him one of the top-10 paid wide receivers in that statistic. Out of all the wide receivers on that list, Kirk is the only one who has failed to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season during his career.
He said one of the most important traits all top receivers have is that they are versatile. Kirk believes he has that attribute to be moved around on offense and still finds ways to excel.
“They impact the game, that’s number one when you think about number one guys,” he said. “They have an impact on the game, not just on first and second down, but on third down, on fourth down in the red zone. When the team needs a play or the offense is in a slump, they’re able to kind of shift the momentum of the game and get the team back rolling.”
Kirk is also excited to team up with Lawrence and said he played a significant role in his decision to team up with the Jaguars. He added that he spent time watching him play at Clemson and came away impressed.
“I thought he had a really good season last year through all the ups and downs and just seeing the potential that he has to be one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL was definitely a part of my decision. I’m just ready to get to work with him and just help him grow and, like I said, win games here.”
Jaguars fans will get their chance to see Lawrence and Kirk take the field together this summer during training camp. Hopefully, they will get to watch the two put on a show in the process and give the team some momentum heading into the regular season.