The Cardinals have been a topic of conversation largely due to the Kyler Murray situation. They have a number of other pressing matters on their roster, though, including some key decisions in the wide receiver room. NFL Network’s Tom Pelisseo lists Christian Kirk as someone who could fetch a large offer on the open market if he leaves Arizona. 
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Specifically, Rapoport states that “it wouldn’t be a shock” if Kirk, 25, were to land a contract of $15MM per year or more. That figure far outweighs the cap space Arizona currently has (just under $5.5MM), which – coupled with the other moves the team figures to make in the coming days and weeks – points to Kirk hitting the open market.
A second round pick in 2018, Kirk put up solid complimentary numbers in his first three seasons in the desert. His best campaign of that stretch came in 2019, when he posted 69 catches for 709 yards. He took a step forward in 2021, however, notching career-highs in receptions (77) and yards (982) while finding the endzone five times. This season was the first in which Kirk played a full campaign.
While the Cardinals may be inclined to let Kirk walk if he received sizeable offers from other teams, doing so could leave them surprisingly short on pass catchers. Behind DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore, the next wideout under contract for 2022 (assuming Andy Isabella is traded) is Antoine Wesley. Veteran A.J. Green, along with tight end Zach Ertz are both pending free agents, though they could each conceivably be brought back considering their production last year.
If Kirk does sign a lucrative contract as Pelissero suggests, it would be one of the most notable deals within a free agent class which has, in recent days, shrunk in size to include the likes of Allen Robinson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and DJ Chark. It would also likely leave the Cardinals in search of a less expensive complementary piece to maintain one of the league’s most potent passing attacks.
