Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence went to leading receiver Christian Kirk on their first offensive play Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It resulted in a 26-yard gain for the stud pass-catcher. Unfortunately, Kirk pulled up lame immediately and grabbed for his groin region after making the catch.
It was a non-contact injury. As you will be able to tell by this video, Kirk was in a ton of pain as he exited the field.
Any time a player grabs for that area, it can’t be seen as a good thing. Given that this took place without any contact before the injury, that’s magnified further.
The Jaguars initially indicated that Kirk was questionable to return with a groin injury. But it seems highly unlikely that he’ll be able to return.
Related: NFL power rankings heading into Week 14
Christian Kirk stats (2023): 56 receptions, 761 yards, 3 TD, 67% completion
Kirk entered Monday night’s game as the Jaguars’ leading receiver. Equally as important as the injury from a micro perspective, any long-term absence would be a big deal for a Jacksonville team that’s attempting to match the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins for the best record in the AFC heading into Week 14.
Kirk, 27, was brilliant in his first season with the Jaguars after coming over from the Arizona Cardinals in free agency ahead of the 2022 campaign. He caught 84 passes for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns.
We’ll have further updates as they become available.