The Minnesota Vikings 2019 second-round pick Irv Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. Tne deal was reported by NFL Network’s Peter Schrager.
After the Vikings took him in the 2019 NFL draft, Smith Jr. never quite got his footing. 2021 felt like it was going to be his season after the Vikings moved on from Kyle Rudolph, but he tore his meniscus in the final preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He fell out of favor with the Vikings this past season and the last straw was when he suffered a high ankle sprain against the Arizona Cardinals in late October. That was one of the catalysts of the T.J. Hockenson trade.
Smith Jr., goes to a really good situation in Cincinnati where he won’t be relied upon to be a heavy contributor, but his skillset up the seam and as a flex tight end will be valuable to the Bengals offense.