Jaguars' Christian Kirk discusses contract affecting WR market, Cardinals experience and his future

Kirk spoke with CBS Sports about his move to Jacksonville

Not many expected wide receiver Christian Kirk to be a main headline coming out of free agency, but he was. On the first day of the legal tampering period, the former Arizona Cardinals wideout agreed to terms on four-year deal worth up to $84 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a massive contract that propelled a young up-and-comer into elite company financially.

Kirk's new average annual value of $18 million pushed him into the top 10 of highest-paid receivers at the time, even though he has never recorded 1,000 receiving yards in any of his four seasons. While Kirk has star potential, this signing was a transaction that affected the wide receiver position in a huge way this offseason.

This week, Kirk spoke with CBS Sports. He said he's been moving into his new home, preparing for team workouts and enjoying every second of this new chapter. It would be difficult to be disappointed after receiving the kind of contract he did.

"It felt great," Kirk said when asked what it was like to put pen to paper on his new deal. "Just all the hard work and everything that I've been through, especially in my NFL career. To go out and have a successful year last year and then to be rewarded with a second contract, it's just been a blessing. As football players, that's one thing we work for, and just to be able to extend your career within the NFL has been great. Just excited about the opportunity."

While Kirk's contract did not "reset" the market per se, it raised the stakes for all the stars at his position. Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders after he couldn't agree to a new deal with the only NFL team he had ever known, that in turn forced Tyreek Hill out of Kansas City and to Miami and now, all eyes are on the young receivers up for new deals, such as Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf. Samuel has already requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers.

We asked Kirk if he feels like he was the player to cause all of the wide receiver madness this offseason. He responded saying this was bound to happen at the wide receiver position, but acknowledged that he was the first domino to fall. 

"I know I was one of the first, but to me the way I look at it, it was bound to happen," said Kirk. "The cap changes every year and the market for all positions, it fluctuates. With the cap going up and with teams with more money to deploy, the wide receiver position specifically to have such a big impact on the game, you were going to see guys like Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs get the deals that they got. And yeah, I was one of the first ones and people want to say I shook up the market. But in my opinion, things like that were going to happen regardless, but it definitely feels good to be able to, I guess maybe take that first step for the position and kind of advocate for us to be considered to be one of the highest-paid positions in the league."

Kirk's former team has been in the headlines this offseason as well. Star quarterback Kyler Murray wants a new contract, and he and his camp have been aggressive in pursuing one. Former Cardinals star cornerback Patrick Peterson and running back Chase Edmonds even recently predicted on CBS Sports' "All Things Covered" podcast that Murray would play elsewhere in the future, and discussed the Cardinals' culture problems. We asked Kirk if it was a tough decision to leave Arizona, and if he had a good experience with the Cardinals. 

"Loved every second," said Kirk. "Arizona is my home, it will be my home for forever. The fan base, the organization, all my teammates left a long-lasting impact on me and my journey. It definitely was hard, but the opportunity to come here to Jacksonville and to play under Coach Pederson and to play with Trevor (Lawrence) and all the great guys that we have on this roster was just really intriguing for me. Just felt like a great new opportunity for me to have a new start and to keep maximizing my potential and go and hopefully win a championship here."

Pundits were generally critical of the contract Kirk received this offseason, and to a degree, Kirk understands what those people are saying. He knows he has to prove himself as one of the best receivers in the NFL, but also understands he has that kind of potential.

"For me, and this is kind of the approach that I take every season is: I want to be the best player that I can be for all games throughout the season, and most importantly, especially now, there is a lot of ... proving that I have to do. Especially when you get a contract of that stature. All eyes are going to be on you, but I'm looking forward to proving my worth and I know I have so much more that I can show and that I can bring especially now being here in Jacksonville."

Kirk spoke with CBS Sports in promoting Rockin' Protein, a healthy source of high-quality protein for people of all fitness levels, which is made with Shamrock Farms milk. Rockin' Protein is available in a variety of flavors nationwide. Kirk's partnership with the company has been going on for years, and he's been drinking Rockin' Protein since even before his high school days.

"We had it every day, after practice, after games," said Kirk. "It's such a great company and the people behind it and the product have just been nothing but amazing. For me, my recovery, I take it super seriously, and Rockin' Protein provides everything that I need for recovery and performance."