The Cincinnati Bengals had to make some changes to the weapons surrounding Joe Burrow this offseason. Last season’s starting tight end, Hayden Hurst, hit it big in free agency, signing a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Hurst was productive in Cincinnati last season, catching 52 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. He was a consistent source of production in the postseason as well, catching 14 passes for 141 yards and one score in three games.
Replacing a starter is never easy, but the Bengals are hoping that Irv Smith Jr. will be able to fill the void. The 2019 second-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings signed a one-year deal with the Bengals this offseason to take over Hurst’s spot in the starting lineup.
So far so good in that department. Burrow has been impressed by what he has seen from Smith since joining the team. He recently spoke out about his newest weapon in the passing game and it was very positive.
“Irv, first of all, he’s upstairs all day every day learning the offense, watching tape with [tight ends coach] James [Casey]. So that’s exciting to hear,” Joe Burrow said in a press conference earlier this week. “And he’s looking smooth — big, strong, athletic, smooth hands. So we’re excited to have that guy.”
Burrow has arguably the best wide receiver trio in the NFL with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. More often than not, those will be his first reads in the passing game, but Smith will still be a big part of this offense. Someone needs to step up when coverage is blanketing those three, just as Hurst did last season.
There is no denying the talent that Smith possesses as he wasn’t picked in the second round for no reason. He has shown flashes but has been unable to consistently put up numbers because of various injuries suffered throughout his career.
After appearing in all 16 games as a rookie in 2019, Smith has missed at least three games in each subsequent season. He missed the entire 2021 campaign with a knee injury and suffered an ankle injury that held him to only eight games last season and the Vikings making a trade for T.J. Hockenson.
The Alabama product has a great chance to get his career back on track in 2023, similar to what Hurst did in 2022. If he can stay healthy, he has a great chance of producing some career highs this upcoming season.
