AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans

Colts

• Colts RB Jonathan Taylor on if he will play on Thursday Night Football following a hit to the lower leg: “I’m not sure yet. It’s what, like an hour after the game? We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.” (Stephen Holder)

Jaguars

The Jaguars surprised everyone this offseason by giving WR Christian Kirk a four-year, $72 million deal — what at the time was still seen as No. 1 receiver money. It even surprised Kirk, as it was far higher than the other offers he’d been hearing. 

“He’s like ‘The Jags are going to offer you four years, $72 million, and I’m like, ‘What?’” Kirk said on The Room podcast via USA Today’s Adam Stites. “So backstory on this, a lot of the teams that my agent was talking to … they were in the $14 to $15 million range. So, that alone in itself, was like where I had hoped to land. Anything in the $14 to $15 [million] plus, I was gonna be blown away.

“So when he said that, I was like ‘Wait, what?’ … He’s like ‘They want you, you’ve been their top priority, everything they have in place, they want you to be the guy.’”

• CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones says Kirk was the Jaguars’ top receiver target in free agency because he was young, had been relatively healthy his whole career, and had the speed to open up their offense. 
• They also expected the receiver market to move, per Jones, so they weren’t worried about overpaying for Kirk. 
• Jones mentions the Jaguars didn’t like WR Amari Cooper‘s injury history. The Cowboys clearly had him available on the trading block and he ended up going to the Browns for a fifth-round pick. 

Texans

• Texans HC Lovie Smith on the breakout performance by RB Dameon Pierce: “He’s showing you all the things that he can do. He’s a guy we need to continue to feature.” (Aaron Wilson)
• Smith revealed that LB Blake Cashman is currently in concussion protocol. (Wilson)
• Smith on QB Davis Mills: “All eyes are on the quarterback, but there was a lot more. Our quarterback had to hit some passes to get us back in that game. I thought at times we pushed the ball down the field. We’re not where we need to be as a passing game.” (Wilson)