Two years in a row, a report of a name veteran being released has been followed by a report of that player being traded to the Texans. Houston can only hope that Christian Kirk works out as well as Joe Mixon.
The Bengals didn't want to pay the veteran running back, and the Jaguars couldn't handle the numbers on Kirk's contract for 2025. But in Houston, he should slot right in as the No. 2 receiver, and it looks like a pretty nice fit, both for the team and player.
Houston is letting Stefon Diggs depart in free agency. It has Tank Dell, but Dell's 2025 season is in doubt after a devastating knee injury suffered in Week 16. Dell tore multiple ligaments and dislocated his kneecap. He underwent a second surgery on his knee just last week to repair a torn ACL. I think it's pretty safe to say he won't play this season.
So there's Nico Collins and a youngster or two they're perhaps holding out hope for taking a big step up (like John Metchie), but not much else. Kirk will be the No. 2, and that's been a pretty busy spot in the C.J. Stroud era.
With injuries, that No. 2 has seldom been the same player, but here are the game-by-game numbers the last two years. (Collins missed 5 of these games; there are a few where I used the 2nd-best numbers from among the Dell-Naoh Brown-Metchie-Robert Woods grouping.) I left out the two Week 18 games and a game Stroud got knocked out of.
| HOUSTON'S NO. 2 WR, 2023-2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opp | No. 2 | No | Yds | TD |
| at Bal. | Woods | 6 | 57 | 0 |
| Ind. | Woods | 6 | 74 | 0 |
| at Jac. | Dell | 5 | 145 | 1 |
| Pit. | Woods | 3 | 26 | 0 |
| at Atl. | Dell | 3 | 57 | 0 |
| N.O. | Brown | 2 | 37 | 0 |
| at Car. | Brown | 3 | 57 | 0 |
| T.B. | Brown | 6 | 153 | 1 |
| at Cin. | Brown | 7 | 172 | 0 |
| Ari. | Dell | 8 | 149 | 1 |
| Jac. | Dell | 5 | 50 | 1 |
| Den. | Metchie | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| at Ten. | Brown | 8 | 82 | 1 |
| Cle. | Brown | 3 | 38 | 0 |
| Ten. | Woods | 4 | 58 | 0 |
| at Ind. | Diggs | 6 | 33 | 2 |
| Chi. | Diggs | 4 | 37 | 0 |
| at Min. | Diggs | 10 | 94 | 0 |
| Jac. | Diggs | 5 | 69 | 0 |
| Buf. | Diggs | 6 | 82 | 0 |
| at N.E. | Diggs | 6 | 77 | 1 |
| at G.B. | Diggs | 5 | 23 | 0 |
| Ind. | Diggs | 5 | 81 | 0 |
| at NYJ | Dell | 6 | 126 | 0 |
| Det. | Metchie | 5 | 74 | 1 |
| at Dal. | Dell | 4 | 54 | 0 |
| Ten. | Dell | 3 | 72 | 0 |
| at Jac. | Metchie | 2 | 16 | 0 |
| Mia. | Dell | 2 | 26 | 0 |
| at K.C. | Dell | 6 | 98 | 1 |
| Bal. | Metchie | 5 | 48 | 0 |
That No. 2 had at least 5 receptions in about two thirds (19 of 31) of the games. We can debate whether Kirk is as good as the version of Diggs Houston saw, and I'd say he isn't as talented as the healthy Dell. Better than Metchie or Brown, though.
I think he's going to be very good as the No. 2 in Stroud's offense this season, and a guy I'll be interested in rostering. Good move by the Texans.
--Andy Richardson