Who Should I Start? Christian Kirk or Michael Pittman Jr.

Friday, February 21, 11:12 AM

ESPN's Dan Graziano puts the odds at 75 percent that the Jacksonville Jaguars cut wide receiver Christian Kirk (collarbone) this offseason. Kirk has one year left on his current deal and is scheduled to make $16.5 million in 2025. However, he's coming off a season-ending broken collarbone and has seen his production decline the last two years due to injuries, and the Jaguars have a new head coach and offensive system and will have a new general manager soon. They also signed Gabe Davis last offseason, and Brian Thomas Jr. took over in 2024 as a legitimate No. 1 wideout. Cutting Kirk would save $10.4 million in 2025 salary cap space. Other potential cap cuts to free up money are receiver Josh Reynolds ($4 million) and tight end Evan Engram ($6 million). It's highly unlikely Jacksonville cuts both Kirk and Engram this offseason.

Friday, January 10, 12:10 PM

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will not require surgery for the fractured back that he played through late in the 2024 season. "One tough dude. Example of what you want," Ballard said. It's a testament to Pittman's toughness that he missed just one game due to his back injury. But the 27-year-old's back issues and inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Indianapolis in 2024 led to Pittman posting only 808 receiving yards -- his fewest since his rookie season in 2020 -- to go with 69 receptions (also his lowest mark since 2020) and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Better health will give him a chance to rebound in 2025, but his overall upside might be dependent on quarterback Anthony Richardson's health and his ability to improve as a passer.