Arizona Cardinals Draft Pick Christian Kirk Might Have Been High On Cocaine During February 3 Arrest
As an Arizona native coming off a productive career at Texas A&M, wide receiver Christian Kirk was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the hometown Cardinals. And while he may be looking forward to playing alongside franchise icon Larry Fitzgerald and possibly replacing him as the team’s primary receiver, reports have alleged that he was involved in an incident a few months before the draft that didn’t seem to bother the Cardinals too much when they picked him last month.
Citing a police report obtained from the Scottsdale Police Department, TMZ wrote on Tuesday that Kirk was arrested on February 3 and charged for criminal damage after he and a group of friends threw rocks at cars parked outside the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. According to the publication, police were notified by security guards at the event, who alleged that Kirk and his friends were “high” at the time of the incident.
Speculating on the substances Kirk might have imbibed prior to his arrest, one of the officers who arrested him noted on the police report that the rookie wide receiver had a “blank stare,” and was exhibiting other behavioral traits consistent with those of someone who had ingested stimulants.
“I further noticed the grinding movement of his jaw and continued blank stare. These are common signs of an individual high on stimulants, such as cocaine.”
Cardinals rookie WR Christian Kirk charged with disorderly conduct at Phoenix Open, per @azcsports pic.twitter.com/2Ufj6klwBF
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) May 14, 2018
A report from the Arizona Republic suggests that the Arizona Cardinals were aware of Christian Kirk’s arrest when they made him the 47th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft late last month. This was confirmed in a statement issued by the Cardinals, who said that the team had already spoken to Kirk about what allegedly happened at the Phoenix Open, and had looked “independently” into the case. The Cardinals stressed that they won’t be issuing any further comment while the case remains pending.
A three-year starter at Texas A&M, Kirk caught 71 passes for 919 yards and 10 touchdowns in his junior year, while also accumulating close to 700 return yards and two more touchdowns as a kick and punt returner, according to his Sports Reference player page. Kirk is considered one of the top new acquisitions, along with veteran quarterback Sam Bradford and his expected rookie understudy, 10th overall pick Josh Rosen, for a team that had lost starting quarterback Carson Palmer and head coach Bruce Arians to retirement in the ongoing NFL offseason.
