Who Should I Start? Justin Hardee or Christian Kirk

Tuesday, April 2, 4:30 PM

Free-agent cornerback and special teams ace Justin Hardee is signing with the Cleveland Browns, as reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 30-year-old was originally undrafted out of Illinois in the 2017 class and has appeared in 100 games through his first seven professional seasons. Hardee spent the first four seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints before a three-year stint with the New York Jets. He earned Pro Bowl honors for his work on special teams in 2022, which is likely where the Browns are primarily interested in utilizing him. Hardee has racked up 78 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception thus far in his career.

Wednesday, September 17, 5:27 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (hamstring) returned to practice on Wednesday and got in a limited session, per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. He is expected to make his team and season debut in Week 3 against his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, after he missed the first two weeks of the season. Fellow wideout Braxton Berrios (hamstring) is also expected to make his season debut this weekend. The 28-year-old Kirk is expected to be Houston's starting slot receiver when healthy, but don't be surprised if they ease him back into action against the Jags. In a Texans offense that has struggled to sustain drives through two weeks, we wouldn't recommend Kirk as anything more than a shaky WR5/flex if he's active on Sunday for his debut with the team. His impending return is bad news for both rookie receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.