Cutting costs was a theme for the Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday, and Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram became a cap casualty, according to multiple reports.
Earlier in the day, Christian Kirk, the veteran wide receiver who was going to be released anyway, was traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, according to The Athletic.
Kirk carried the team’s heftiest cap hit at $24.1 million, and the team is scheduled to save just over $10 million by getting him off the books, according to Over The Cap.
Engram was the second-biggest cap hit for Jacksonville for the 2025 season at $19.49 million, per Over the Cap. By releasing him, the Jags are absorbing $13.5 million in dead cap money and saving just under $6 million.
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Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) makes a catch against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)
Jacksonville’s new GM, James Gladstone, who was hired Feb. 21, is showcasing his immediate plan to create cap space for free agent moves, while keeping his 2025 NFL Draft class in mind.
The move for Kirk makes sense considering the Jags still have wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis and Parker Washington. Kirk, a seven-year veteran, also has an injury history.
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However, Engram had a breakout season in 2023, his second Pro Bowl year, with 114 catches for 963 yards and four touchdowns.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram catches a pass before a game Oct. 27, 2024, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
But Engram also dealt with injuries in 2024, tearing a labrum that required mid-December surgery. He also sat out Weeks 2-5 with a hamstring injury, limiting him to nine games.
Engram finished the year with 47 receptions for 365 yards and one touchdown.
The 30-year-old was a first-round pick by the New York Giants in 2017 out of Ole Miss, and he had an up-and-down career in five seasons before signing with the Jaguars.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)
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Now a free agent, Engram will be searching for a tight end-needy squad — the Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos could be looking in that department — while the Jaguars will head into next season with Brenton Strange, Shawn Bowman and Patrick Murtagh on the depth chart.
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