The NFL roster cut is a brutal period for footballers as thousands of athletes lose their jobs during this time. Though players can still earn a new deal after getting released from a franchise, the uncertainty just before the regular hits hard. Christian Kirksey of the Houston Texans has been one of the unlucky people to part ways with his beloved team.
The addition of Denzel Perryman in free agency led to a diminishing role of Christian on the depth chart. Besides Denzel, the team also has the veteran star Cory Littleton, and they drafted Christian Harris as well as Henry To’oTo’o in the last two years to bolster their linebacker room under new head coach DeMeco Ryans.
Christian Kirksey dropped from the Texans roster
According to the report of NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo on Monday, Kirksey has received his walking papers from the Texans as part of their efforts to finalize their 53-man roster on August 28.
#Texans are releasing veteran LB Christian Kirksey, source says.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 28, 2023
The soon-to-be 31-year-old veteran signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the franchise back in 2022, and was due to carry a cap hit of $6.25M this year. According to spotrac.com, he possessed $4 million of guaranteed money, and by releasing him now, the Texans will save $1M in cap space.
The veteran LB started his NFL journey with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and played six years for the team before heading to the Green Bay Packers. He played with the Packers for just one year before moving to the Texans. Following the ex-Packers star, Houston also parted ways with offensive tackle Rashaad Coward, offensive lineman Tyler Beach, and corner Desmond King.
Christian Kirksey’s performances for the Texans last year
Being Houston’s captain last season, Christian has been a starter in 17 games and recorded 124 tackles, seven quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss along with five pass deflections, two interceptions, three sacks as well as one fumble recovery. He got the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year honoree in 2022.
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The 6-2, 235-pounder played a total of 30 games in Houston over the past two seasons while starting 29 of them. In his whole career, the former third-rounder played 114 games and started 94 of them while recording seven interceptions, 16.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 778 combined tackles, 45 tackles for loss, and 33 quarterback hits.
Do you think that the Texan made a good move by releasing Kirksey? You can share your thoughts in the comment section.
