Christian Kirk’s contract breakdown shows it’s not all that crazy

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made a few splashes in 2022 NFL free agency, the most notable being former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk. The Jaguars plan to sign Kirk to a four-year, $72 million deal with $37 million, including a $20 million signing bonus. The size of the deal turned a lot of heads around the league and among fans, as the average per year stands out as a sizeable amount.

The reality of the deal is that it’s basically a two-year deal worth $37 million. The way the Jaguars structured the Kirk deal, as currently reported albeit not actually official, is after the 2023 season the team can release Kirk and save $11 million against the cap. The team will eat $10 million in dead money, but if Kirk ends up a bust it’s a deal they can easily get out of.

That has been a common theme for the Jaguars in free agency the past few years and probably one of the few good things the franchise has consistently done. Most of their giant free agent deals end up with easy outs after the second season and Kirk’s deal falls right in line with this one.

Then again, if Kirk ends up being a star, no harm no foul.