Top NFL trade candidate's season ends in heartbreak as injury revealed after crushing loss

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk has been ruled out for the remainder of the NFL season after an injury endured during Week 8 was officially diagnosed as a broken collarbone. The Jags fell to a 2-6 record after losing 30-27 to the Green Bay Packers.

The media confirmed Kirk's injury status immediately after the game. Kirk caught two of his five intended targets for 59 yards before the injury took him out of the remainder of the game.

The injury occurred with 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Trevor Lawrence overthrew a deep pass intended for Kirk, forcing the receiver to fully extend in an attempt to make the catch. Kirk adjusted his body mid-air, but linebacker Edgerrin Cooper punched the ball out of his hands as he reached out, causing a collision with two Packers defenders.

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Kirk immediately went down, clutching his shoulder in visible pain. Medical staff quickly attended to him, and he was removed from the game. The drive ultimately stalled, leading to a punt, just after Green Bay had scored a passing touchdown on their previous possession when Malik Willis connected with tight end Tucker Kraft.

Kirk's season has come to an early end after making 27 catches for 279 yards and a touchdown, which he scored during Jacksonville’s narrow 24-20 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 5. The Jaguars will now have to press forward without one of their key offensive targets as they sit at a 2-6 overall record, barely above the Tennessee Titans , who have secured only a single win this season.

Before the injury, Kirk was at the center of NFL trade talks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter , and the premier pass catcher's talent continued to shine as the Jags struggled. His season ended less than two weeks before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, as teams rumored to be interested in a potential trade including the Baltimore Ravens , Kansas City Chiefs , and Los Angeles Chargers .

Kirk was initially drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 as the 47th overall pick of the second round. After struggling to secure a top spot on the Cardinals' depth chart, he signed a four-year, $72 million contract with Jacksonville in 2022.

The seven-year NFL veteran pass catcher immediately impacted the organization by posting his first 1,000-yard season in 2022 and setting a career-high with eight touchdowns. In his time with the Jaguars, he has caught 166 passes for 2,215 yards and 12 touchdowns, quickly becoming one of the team’s most reliable offensive weapons.

Kirk has dealt with five injuries over his seven-year NFL career , with groin and foot issues being the most frequent setbacks. Before his recent collarbone injury, the most significant injury occurred during his rookie season in 2018 when he suffered a broken foot in Week 13, sidelining him for the remainder of the year.