It's been a busy NFL offseason for the Houston Texans, who have handed out 15 new contracts since the start of free agency, according to Spotrac. Although some of these new deals have been given to a handful of returning players, a large chunk of the Texans' offseason activity stems from adding new faces.
Most of Houston's new arrivals stem from free agency, however, one who doesn't is Christian Kirk. The Texans acquired the veteran wideout from the Jacksonville Jaguars at the start of March, sending a 2026 seventh-round pick to the former's AFC South rival to get the deal done.
Even though Texans fans will have to wait a little while longer to see Kirk in action, head coach DeMeco Ryans just shed some light on his 2025 plans for the 28-year-old pass-catcher.
DeMeco Ryans Eyes Third-Down Role for WR Christian Kirk
While at this week's annual NFL meetings in Florida, Ryans spoke with KPRC 2 Houston's Aaron Wilson about Kirk joining the Texans. The Houston HC said that he views the experienced WR as a "friendly target" for quarterback C.J. Stroud and that he hopes to take advantage of his skillset on third downs.
"I'm excited to see what (Kirk) brings on third down," Ryans admitted. "I think he can really open up a lot of options for us on third down, especially from the inside position. He'll be a friendly target for C.J."
#Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on role for Christian Kirk at receiver 'Friendly target for C.J.' Stroud @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/YwvONGrV6p
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 31, 2025
Even though he's a well-rounded playmaker, it's clear that the Texans are eyeing a slot receiver role with an emphasis on third downs for Kirk. It wouldn't be an unfamiliar job for the former 2018 second-rounder, who's primarily played in the slot everywhere he's gone since the 2021 season.
Texans fans are interested to see if Kirk can stay healthy enough to capitalize on Ryans' plans. He's the type of player Houston could use after losing fellow WR Tank Dell to a serious knee injury for the upcoming season.
Kirk was plagued by injuries throughout his Jaguars tenure, missing five games in 2023 with a core muscle issue before missing the final nine games of the 2024 campaign with a broken collarbone. He had played all 17 games in the two previous seasons, though, leaving time to tell if his recent injury woes are an anomaly or the new norm.
The encouraging thing is that Kirk has proven that he can still be an impact player despite him attracting the injury bug. Throughout the last three seasons with the Jaguars, the former Texas A&M wideout converted 168 receptions into 2,274 receiving yards (61.5 yards per game) while finding the end zone 12 times in 37 outings.
And even though Kirk was only Pro Football Focus's No. 64-graded receiver last season, it wasn't that long ago when he was the No. 33-ranked WR in 2022. Perhaps Ryans can properly use him in a way that helps the Scottsdale, AZ native return to that level.
Regardless of how he's used or where he's deployed, Houston is counting on Kirk to help bring success to the Lone Star State next season.