NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported the San Francisco 49ers are signing veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk to a one-year deal for $6 million. Kirk, 29, spent 2025 with the Houston Texans. The former second-round pick caught 28 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown.
Looking at Kirk’s injury history, he missed two games during the 2025 season after straining his hamstring. In 2024, Kirk was sidelined for the remainder of the season after fracturing his collarbone in Week 8. Kirk started the season strongly in Jacksonville in ’24. He was averaging 14 yards per reception on the 27 passes he caught.
Unfortunately, Kirk is no stranger to the blue medical tent. He missed five games in 2023 after a Grade 3 groin tear when he landed awkwardly in the first quarter of Week 13. Kirk missed the remainder of the season.
The 49ers’ addition of Kirk is similar to the other speedy, small-ish receivers on the roster. He joins Ricky Pearsall, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, and Junior Bergen in that regard.
A postseason after which Demarcus Robinson, Jauan Jennings, and Kendrick Bourne were all targeted, it’s no surprise to see the 49ers pivot to adding speed at the position. Adding speed was one of the Niners’ biggest priorities this offseason.
Kirk had eight targets of 20+ yards last season. In the first half of 2024, Kirk had 12 targets of 20+ yards. For reference, Jennings had 13 in each of the previous two seasons–and we know how heavily he was involved in the passing game.
Kirk’s regular-season production was underwhelming, but he caught eight passes and a touchdown in the Wild Card round. On three of those receptions, he traveled 20.05, 19.64, and 19.13 miles per hour. Those would have been three of the four fastest times for a 49ers ball-carrier in 2025.
Kirk checks the speed box. He gives the Niners an eligible who can genuinely stretch the field and one that defenses must respect.
The 49ers know Kirk all too well, after the Arizona Cardinals drafted him in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The last time Kirk played the 49ers was in 2023, when he had six receptions for 104 yards. Back in 2021, Kirk was held in check in the first game, but had a 50-yard reception in the rematch, leading to a 91-yard outing. Kyle Shanahan has seen Kirk get the best of him. Now, Kirk pencils himself in as the Niners slot receiver.
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