Trevor Lawrence will wake up to a shock on Thursday morning for sure. Like he is already facing so much pressure to deliver in his 5th season with the Jaguars. And instead of that pressure going down, it just got doubled. Not only for Lawrence, but even for the Jags who will now be searching for their fourth starting center in 5 seasons. Their 32-year-old center, who started all games last season, has suddenly opted for retirement, thereby leaving a gaping hole in the Jags’ O-line.

God knows what was going on in Mitch Morse’s mind. Because he surely has surprised a lot out there in Duval. On a beautiful Thursday morning, Morse shared an Instagram post where he wrote an emotional retirement note. “The things I’ll remember and cherish most about my career are the relationships and bonds I created with my teammates, both on and off of the field. Nothing can replace that, and I will miss it dearly.” Jags fans will be like the feeling is mutual. Actually, it will be them who will miss him the most in their O-line.

In a single season in Jacksonville, Morse played with a domineering presence in the O-line. His impact was very visible as Morse only gave up 3 sacks and 14 total pressures. Surely, his departure will make the Jags offseason plans a bit busier if it wasn’t already. See, they still have Luke Fortner on the roster who struggled mightily in 2023 before Morsh replaced him. So, it remains to be seen whether the Jags will go back to Fortner or not. To be honest, going back to exes is never a good option, so let’s see what comes out of this.

And while they still plan their next move at center. It’s not like Morse’s retirement only brings more trouble than good for the Jags. His departure frees up $735,294 in salary cap space. It might not be much but it’s still something. However, the Jags O-line problems don’t end with Morse. Their right guard Brandon Scherff is also slated to hit free agency or retire. This means the Jags not only have to search for another center but also a guard to keep Lawrence’s O-line intact. Because no matter how much Lawrence improves his game under the new head coach Liam Coen. There’s no way he can help the Jags win games if he doesn’t get help from his O-line.

So, it’s totally up to the Jags and their offseason plans. Whether they can land top offensive linemen to ensure Trevor Lawrence is protected in the pocket. But hold on. Actually it’s not only the O-line. The Jags will also require a new receiver for Lawrence to target. After they chose to release Christian Kirk to bring some much-needed breathing space in their salary cap.

Christian Kirk’s exit helps the Jags rope in $10.73M in savings

Christian Kirk landed a huge deal with the Jags in 2022, signing a 4-year, $72M contract. At that time, it looked like the Jags were paying a bit too much to someone who couldn’t even cross the 1000 yard benchmark in 4 seasons with the Cardinals. But once he landed in Duval, Kirk was off to an explosive start. Hauling in 84 receptions for 1,108 receiving yards, Kirk made that deal look worth it. However, soon his productions dropped marred with injuries. After playing only 12 games in 2023, that number dropped to just 8 in 2024.

Upon suffering a broken collarbone, Kirk’s season ended with only 27 receptions for 379 receiving yards. Maybe that’s why the Jags thought it’s better to cut their losses while there’s still time. So, with a $15.5M base salary on his Jags contract, they chose to throw him out. And by doing so, the Jags have a massive savings of $10.73M in their salary cap space. He was slated to have the largest cap hit now Kirk’s release has allowed the Jags to bring in some reinforcement elsewhere. Like at center or guard with two of their veterans moving on soon.

See, the Jags do have rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. already on their roster. And they’re also Gabe Davis and Parker Washington, so there’s no shortage of options for Lawrence. However, they could still bring in another receiver to fill in Kirk’s shoes. So, only time will tell what the Jags are planning to do. But one thing is for sure: they will be busier than the other 31 franchises in the market. This only means the rumor mill in Duval—expect that to spin like a beyblade in the next few months.