The Houston Texans entered this offseason with several storylines but one of them was what they were going to do at receiver. The Texans struggled with depth throughout last season as Nico Collins and Tank Dell suffered injuries and Houston did their best to address the problem this spring.
One of the moves was acquiring Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars. A former 1,000-yard receiver, Kirk was expected to bring a veteran presence to the room even if it were just for one season. But as the Texans held their first minicamp practice on Tuesday, it appeared they may not have needed to make the move as a rookie has outshined the veteran with a string of highlight-worthy plays.
Jayden Higgins’s Performance Outshines Christian Kirk During Texans Minicamp
Jayden Higgins was one of two receivers taken by Houston during April’s draft and he didn’t waste any time establishing his presence during practice. The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander documented the Iowa State product’s morning as he made a pair of one-handed grabs including a go route from C.J. Stroud that included tight coverage from Kamari Lassiter.
C.J. Stroud threw a go ball to Jayden Higgins, who was covered tightly by Kamari Lassiter, but Higgins hauled it in with one hand . Perfect pass.
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) June 10, 2025
Yeah, Higgins might end up being the truth.
While Higgins was impressive, his second grab came at the expense of Kirk who dropped a Stroud pass “he could have taken to the house” on the previous play according to KHOU’s Luis Ortiz.
Christian Kirk just dropped a pass from CJ. A ball he could’ve probably taken to the house
— Luis Ortiz (@OrtizSportsTV) June 10, 2025
Then on next play, Jayden Higgins makes a one-handed catch with coverage all over him@KHOU
Higgins’s performance may be huge for Texans fans who want to see more from the offense next season. But it might be bad news for a veteran like Kirk, who is trying to start over after his time with the Jaguars.
Kirk broke out in his final year with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 with 77 receptions for 982 yards and five touchdowns and the performance helped him land a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jaguars in free agency the following offseason. While he turned in another big performance with 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, his performance declined over the past two seasons including 27 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown in eight games last season.
The lack of production spurred the trade to Jacksonville where Kirk hopes to revive his career and earn one final pay day. But Higgins’s emergence suggest he may not get the opportunity. With fellow rookie Jaylin Noel also joining the team, Kirk’s chance to start could be short-lived and allow some new blood to shine in the Texans’ receiving room.