The Arizona Cardinals believe receiver Christian Kirk can be a special player, a potential No. 1 receiver. However, he has missed seven games in his first two seasons with injuries. He broke his foot his rookie year and battled through a high ankle sprain for much of 2019.
He still made statistical improvements in his second season, but he fell short of what he hoped to accomplish.
“The word that summarizes it was just frustrating,” he told reporters in a video conference this week when he was asked about his 2019 season. “I hold myself to high expectations, so the fact that I didn’t meet many of my expectations for what I wanted Year 2 to look like for me was frustrating, but at the same time you’ve just got to battle through it and I couldn’t dwell on it.”
He said his ankle still hurt him quite a bit even at the end of the season but noted “nobody’s healthy at the end of the year.”
He was pleased that, even having to battle through the ankle injury, his personal production increased. After 43 receptions for 590 yards and three touchdowns, he had 68 for 709 and three scores in his second season.
He would like to see progress in his third season but his main goal is simpler. It is “just stay healthy.”
Now on a team that includes DeAndre Hopkins, he will not draw the attention he did last year. Teams often used their top cornerback to guard Kirk. He won’t get that in 2020 with Hopkins on the roster.
If he stays healthy, even if he doesn’t get the most targets, he still could be a 1,000-yard receiver in 2020.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
Ep. 268
Ep. 267
