JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk suffered a broken left collarbone in Sunday’s loss to the Packers and will miss the rest of the season, head coach Doug Pederson announced on Monday.
Pederson said that Kirk underwent surgery Monday morning.
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Kirk was one of a half-dozen players who left the 30-27 loss with an injury and didn’t return. Kirk’s injury looked significant when it happened. He went up high to make what looked like a catch before losing the ball when he hit the ground. Kirk was immediately writhing in pain and grabbing his left shoulder area.
Kirk had been mired in a sluggish start in his third year in Jacksonville. He has 27 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown. Kirk had a breakout first year with the Jaguars in 2022, catching 84 passes for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, all career highs. Even worse for the franchise is that Kirk’s name had been floated throughout national media reports as a trade deadline target for other teams. That’s now off the table for the Jaguars. Kirk will be entering the final season of his four-year contract in 2025.
The loss of Kirk is a massive blow to an erratic offense.
He suffered a core muscle injury in a “Monday Night Football” loss to the Bengals last year and missed the final five games. Jacksonville went 1-4 without Kirk in the lineup. Rookie Parker Washington replaced Kirk last year and was hot and cold in that audition. Should Washington slide into Kirk’s spot now, he would, optimistically, be a bit better than he was last year.
Kirk had his arm in a sling in the locker room. Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis and Kirk all left the game with injuries. Trevor Lawrence hit Evan Engram on a 14-yard touchdown pass with under two minutes to play to tie the game at 27-all before the Packers rallied.
Tim Jones is the other receiver in line for more playing time. Davis, a free agent addition, has been a disappointment in his time with the Jaguars.