Christian Kirk was clutch for the Houston Texans during the playoffs.
He had eight catches for 144 yards in an opening round win, then added a touchdown in the season-ending loss to the Patriots.
That may not be enough to keep Kirk in Houston long-term, though.
He was acquired before the season from the Jaguars in a trade, and the Texans had to pay Kirk $16.3 million for this season.
Going forward, with younger receivers Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson part of a WR room led by Nico Collins, it may not make sense for the Texans to keep Kirk.
MORE: Bills have no choice but to trade Keon Coleman now
He's also going to command much less money in free agency than he had on his deal that just expired.
"As a 29-year-old receiver mostly limited to slot work, Kirk won't have a huge market in free agency," ESPN's Bill Barnwell writes. "But he's a well-regarded teammate and has an 1,108-yard season on his résumé, so he should find some guaranteed money as a third wideout on a receiver-needy team in 2026."
Nothing about Barnwell's blurb on Kirk in his new article on Thursday suggests that he thinks Houston will keep Kirk around.
It makes sense from a depth chart perspective, for sure.
MORE: Could the Raiders trade the No. 1 pick and Fernando Mendoza?
The Texans actually have a lot of talent at a lot of positions, led by a stellar defense. They really need to figure out how to get the most out of quarterback C.J. Stroud in the years ahead to maximize their potential.
Kirk probably isn't part of that picture, but he'll latch on somewhere and be a useful enough slot receiver going forward after his one year in Houston.
More NFL news:
- Browns can draft the brother of a Cavs' NBA star
- The 2027 Super Bowl is on Valentine's Day
- New perspective on Tua Tagovailoa and his head injuries
- The lastest on how Travis Kelce's wedding to Taylor Swift impacts retirement
- John Harbaugh should already have a $100 million regret
- Would the Texans consider trading C.J. Stroud?