The Jacksonville Jaguars have certainly had a miserable week following the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence will now be struggling through his ankle injury for the rest of the season and the division no longer looks to be on lock as both the Colts and Texans can tie Jacksonville with a win over the weekend. The ball seems to be quickly rolling downhill for the Panhandle Club.
Jaguars star WR injury woes
Sadly for Jacksonville, Lawrence wasn’t the only injury nightmare to come out of the disastrous loss to Cincinnati: star slot receiver Christian Kirk was placed on IR on Friday due to a groin injury he suffered on Monday. Kirk leads the team in receiving yards (787) and is second in interceptions. If Kirk has an opportunty to return, it will have to be after at least four games but will most likely miss the remainder of the season.
While typically a luxury, Kirk still marks the league to be the first slot receiver to get a major contract when he signed him to a four-year deal worth $84 million during the 2022 offseason. The deal averages $21 million per year and easily makes Kirk the most valuable slot receiver in football.Without Christian Kirk, Jacksonville is left with limited options to pass the ball to on a struggling offense. The division no longer looks like a guarantee as the team will struggle to keep up with offensive firepower from the Indianapolis Colts or the Houston Texans.
Jaguars from a fantasy perspective
Jacksonville has not been a team to provide much in terms of fantasy production. Lawrence has been a suitable option for most of the season as a backup but most of his targets go to tight end Evan Engram. The former Giants tight end has established himself as a feasible option in a lackluster tight end competition this season.
While Lawrence may return this year, the entire offense will look dramatically different without his favorite receiver. Lawrence’s production will likely nosedive after both his injury and the injury to Kirk. Engram and wide receiver Calvin Ridley will both likely take a slight increase in volume as Jacksonville tries to determine a solution moving forward. If you have a choice, I recommend give the entire Jacksonville offense a wide berth at this point to avoid a disappointing playoff performance.
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