Battle Red Blog
How will the new slot receiver fit into the new offense?
August is here, and you know what that means: football is back!
Okay, well, sort of…the NFL regular season is still a month away, but the preseason is now officially underway after the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game last night. Under the bright Canton lights, old football legends were honored, big plays were made, and the world got one step closer to the return of Texans football.
While Houston’s first preseason game isn’t until August 9, they’ve still made plenty of headlines after their first week of training camp. C.J. Stroud and his new-look offensive line have been a captivating (if distressing) sight to Houston faithful, the ball-hawking defensive backfield is already making their presence known, and a fight broke out. But, one headline I’ve been particularly happy to see is the performance of wide receiver Christian Kirk.
Kirk is one of several new receivers general manager Nick Caserio signed in 2025, sending a 2026 seventh-round draft pick to the division rival Glitter Kitties in order to absorb Kirk and his $15.5 million salary. Entering his eighth year, Kirk has gone through a whirlwind of changes since entering free agency in 2022. He signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jaguars in March of that year, had the best season of his career just months later, and then saw both his 2023 and 2024 campaigns derail midseason due to injuries. The most recent one, a fractured collarbone, kept him out of football for the last nine weeks of the season, the longest absence of his career.
At first glance, then, this trade may seem a little puzzling. Why would Caserio trade for an expensive receiver that only produced 379 total yards last season and may be injury-prone? Well, thanks to the power of NFL funny money, Houston was able to convert $14.245 million of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus, so the paycheck is not very punishing at all. On top of that, when Christian Kirk is fully healthy, he’s very hard to stop. Nathan Jahnke of PFF noted,
”Kirk has been the most consistent slot receiver in recent seasons, finishing with 5.2 targets per game in the slot, which is the most among wide receivers over the past three seasons. Typically, slot receivers are better against zone defense than man, but Kirk has been dominant against man defenses. His 2.66 yards per route run against man are the seventh-most among wide receivers. Kirk has also played well against press and when lined up out wide.” - Nathan Jahnke, PFF
Kirk has clearly carved out a place for himself in modern NFL offenses, his skillset as a slot receiver have made him a productive option. If you turn on his tape from last season, as well, you can quickly diagnose why quarterbacks like throwing to him so much: he’s blistering fast and subtle with his separation. Kirk has...
