The Houston Texans had plenty on their to-do list this offseason but one of the biggest priorities was to upgrade their receiving group. Nico Collins has emerged as a legitimate star with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons but the Texans needed some help after Tank Dell suffered multiple torn ligaments and a dislocated kneecap in a Week 16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Texans responded by adding Iowa State receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in April’s draft. But the most interesting move was a trade for Christian Kirk. The former Jacksonville Jaguars playmaker adds a veteran presence to Houston’s receiver room, but the partnership could be short-lived after a big contract extension in the league on Thursday.
Rashod Bateman’s Contract Extension is Bad News For Texans
NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reports that the Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a three-year extension with wide receiver Rashod Bateman. The deal is worth $36.75 million, includes $20 million guaranteed and virtually wipes out all chances of Kirk staying with the Texans beyond this season.
The proof is in Bateman’s stats. A first-round pick (27th overall) by the Ravens in the 2021 draft, Bateman has yet to record a 1,000-yard season and had his breakout campaign with 45 catches and career-highs with 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2024. Bateman also ranked 48th out of 133 qualifying receivers with a 71.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade last season, which was his highest grade since his rookie season (64.9).
The Ravens have made it a priority to sign their own players this offseason, giving running back Derrick Henry a two-year, $30 million extension last month and are reportedly working on other extensions with quarterback Lamar Jackson, center Tyler Linderbaum and safety Kyle Hamilton according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. But even if Bateman impressed the Ravens with a pair of touchdown grabs during last year’s playoffs, his annual average value of $12.25 million slots in above Darius Slayton’s $12 million AAV with the New York Giants and behind Darnell Mooney of the Atlanta Falcons ($13 million) and Khalil Shakir of the Buffalo Bills ($13.25 million).
Some would argue that Kirk is overpaid at $18 million per season, ahead of Jerry Jeudy’s $17.5 million with the Cleveland Browns and behind Mike Evans’s $20.5 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Kirk has a pair of strong seasons on his resume.
In his final year with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, Kirk caught 77 passes for 982 yards and five touchdowns. The breakout helped him land a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jaguars in free agency and he had another big year with 84 catches, 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022.
Kirk’s star has faded since then with 57 catches for 787 yards and three touchdowns in 2023 and just 27 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown with Jacksonville last season. But Houston gives him a better opportunity to rebound. If the 28-year-old has a big year, he can hit the market for a final pay day and have a solid case to make more than Bateman received from the Ravens.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for a Texans team that has just $9.4 million in cap space in 2026 and will have to work out a long-term extension for C.J. Stroud next offseason. Even if Kirk has a big year, the Texans will likely be looking to get cheaper at the position, leaving Kirk to hit free agency and the Texans to figure out a Plan B next spring.