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49ers Continue to Be Proven Wrong for Signing Christian Kirk

What a wasted signing.

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) celebrates a touchdown in the second quarter against the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just when Christian Kirk was starting to get going, he suffered a new injury.

This time it’s his knee. Kyle Shanahan revealed on Friday that Kirk injured his meniscus during practice earlier in the week. As a result, the 49ers ruled him out for Week 9 against the Raiders. 

It’s unclear if Kirk tore his meniscus. It would be shocking if he did. That will likely be revealed next week. In any case, the 49ers continue to be proven wrong for signing Christian Kirk in free agency. 

Kirk has barely been on the field since he signed, including in practice. He suffered a calf injury on the first day of training camp, which put him on Injured Reserve.

He finally recovered from the calf injury he sustained a few weeks ago, and the 49ers activated him from injured reserve for Week 7 against the Falcons. Kirk wasn’t targeted a single time in that game.

All he did was get some cardio. Now that he’s hurt his meniscus, there’s a chance he’s out for some games, if not the entire season. It’s been a disaster with Kirk.

The 49ers shelled out $3 million to him on a one-year deal with the chance to earn up to $6 million. They hoped he could be a key role player and contribute in stretches.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t given them any meaningful contributions. Kirk is already the 49ers’ biggest blunder free agent signing, and it’s not that surprising.

He's dealt with injuries in the last two seasons. He struggled to stay on the field. Last year with the Texans, he dealt with a hamstring injury. He struggled to produce much with them.

His only noteworthy performance came in the playoffs when he exploded for eight catches for 144 yards and a score in the Wild Card round. Aside from that, he was irrelevant. 

The 49ers banked on Kirk staying upright this year and tapping into the breakout game he had in the playoffs. Thankfully, the 49ers didn’t invest a lot in Kirk. 

But at the same time, $3 million burnt in a salary cap league is a little rough. Kirk not panning out was always likely. The 49ers rolled the dice on him and were proven dead wrong. 

At least their other free agent signings have been sweet for them. Silver linings. 

Follow Jose on X (Twitter) at @JS3sanchezz and on his YouTube channel to interact with him about the 49ers and more.

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