Like Stroud, Kirk is in search of some redemption heading into his eighth NFL season. He disappeared at times in Jacksonville last year, logging a single catch in three of his eight games played. He missed the team’s final nine contests due to a broken collarbone, which resulted in career lows across the board: 27 catches for 379 yards and a score.
Shipped to Houston for a seventh-rounder, Kirk has a chance to bounce back and play a pivotal role in the Texans’ quest to make a third consecutive postseason trip for the first time in franchise history.
He joins a transformed WR corps led by Nico Collins, the big-bodied Pro Bowler riding a two-year streak of 1,000-yard receiving seasons. While Tank Dell continues to rehab from his knee dislocation that involved a torn ACL and MCL, Day 2 rookies from the 2025 draft — Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel — will likely be asked to make a mark early.
Kirk, the most experienced member of the WR room, should be a boon to Higgins and Noel’s development, but he also possesses the perfect speedy skill set to pair with Collins, allowing him to earn usage as the rookies come along and create mismatches in the passing game.
The running back room is flush with talent, highlighted by Joe Mixon, recent signee Nick Chubb and fourth-round draft pick Woody Marks.
On defense, Houston boasts a dominant pass-rushing duo in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, supported on the back end by a young secondary that came into its own in 2024 and projects to take another step in 2025.
There’s talent up and down Houston’s roster, even if the hype and expectations feel diminished compared to an offseason ago.
Kirk is ready to play his part, and he’s buying into Stroud leading them all to the top.