Jaguars receive positive news on Christian Kirk ahead of Week 18 showdown

Jacksonville designated Kirk for return from IR on Wednesday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Considering this is the first week Kirk could return to practice, the 2022 free agency addition being ready this soon represents a somewhat surprising development.

The former Cardinals second-rounder was believed to need more recovery time. With the Jags in danger of missing the playoffs, they will see how their slot target looks ahead of a win-and-in Week 18 showdown. The Jaguars will face the Titans on Sunday. A win would give them a second straight division title for the first time since the franchise’s back-to-back AFC Central crowns in 1998 and ’99. The team may need some injury timetables to break right to have a good shot at hanging onto this hope.

While the Jags were able to win without Kirk, Zay Jones and Trevor Lawrence, they faced the Panthers in Week 17. Although the Titans have not won a game in the AFC South this season, they represent a more formidable obstacle compared to Carolina. Lawrence did not practice last week, missing his first NFL game, and Jones has not played since Week 15.

Kirk went down in the first half of the Jags’ overtime loss to the Bengals. Illustrating Kirk’s impact, Jacksonville (9-7) entered that Monday night game 8-3. While Lawrence’s run of setbacks has impacted the Jags during this span as well, the team has struggled offensively for most of the past month without its $18M-per-year pass catcher. After his first 1,000-yard season, Kirk was on pace for a second before the injury. He compiled 787 yards on 57 receptions, scoring three touchdowns in his second Jaguars season.

The Jags defeating the Titans would ensure two AFC South teams qualify for the playoffs, with Saturday night’s Colts-Texans matchup a win-and-in game. If Tennessee upsets Jacksonville, the winner of the Houston-Indianapolis matchup would claim the division title. Lawrence’s availability will be paramount for the Jags, and the prospect of Kirk being back as well would bolster their chances of salvaging their season with a playoff berth.