The Jacksonville Jaguars played their first Monday Night Football game in 12 years last night, resulting in a hellish outcome for the AFC South club. They not only fell to the backup quarterback-led Cincinnati Bengals, but injuries to their star quarterback and a standout wide receiver left their potential winning season derailed. Per NFL insider Adam Schefter, star wideout Christian Kirk suffered a core muscle injury and could miss a substantial amount of time. Kirk could require surgery.
Christian Kirk’s injury likely will require surgery. https://t.co/jAO0jmt11M
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 5, 2023
Kirk injured himself on a 26-yard reception on the Jags’ first offensive play. Jacksonville also lost franchise cornerstone Trevor Lawrence with an ankle injury. The signal-caller remains questionable for next Sunday’s battle against the Cleveland Browns.
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Christian Kirk: Stellar 2023 Season Potentially Cut Short
Kirk posted 57 receptions for 787 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games this season before departing on MNF. Kirk paced the Jaguars wideout room in receiving yards despite the Jaguars adding star wideout Calvin Ridley to the mix this season. His best game came against the Kansas City Chiefs in September, snagging 11 passes for a season-high 110 yards.
The Texas A&M product joined the Jaguars last year, posting career-high numbers. Kirk finished the 2022 campaign with 84 receptions for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns. He played his first four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 236 passes and 17 touchdowns during that span.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Wide Receiver Room without Kirk
The trio of Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones, and Parker Washington will need to step up in the absence of Christian Kirk. The Jaguars traded for Ridley last year while the wide receiver served a year suspension for gambling on games. The former first-round draft pick has 51 catches for 689 yards and five scores this season. Jones will also see extra targets with Kirk unavabile. The East Carolina product has dealt with injuries this season but averages nearly 50 receiving yards per game during his two-year run with the Jags.
Meanwhile, rookie Parker Washington shined last night when Kirk departed. The 21-year-old caught all six targets for 61 yards and a score. Jacksonville selected Washington in the sixth round of the previous year’s draft.
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