Former Vikings TE Joins the Super Bowl Champs
Josh Frey
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At one point in time, it seemed like Irv Smith was “next up” at the tight end position for the Minnesota Vikings.
However, following a couple unfortunate injuries and Minnesota’s trade to acquire T.J. Hockenson, the Vikings allowed him to walk in free agency last offseason. Now, the former Vikings tight end is set to join the back-to-back Super Bowl champions, signing a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Irv Smith Signs with the Chiefs
The signing was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, who tweeted, “Bengals free-agent tight end Irv Smith Jr. reached agreement a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, per source.”
Smith was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Vikings out of Alabama, and for his first two seasons, he sat in the TE2 role behind Kyle Rudolph. Even still, he managed to amass 66 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns over those two years.
After the Vikings parted ways with Rudolph in 2021, though, it seemed like Smith was set to take over that TE1 role in Minnesota. However, a torn meniscus right before Week 1 ended his season before it could even begin. As a result, it was Tyler Conklin who took over the starting job, and he put together a strong season before signing with the New York Jets the following offseason.
Once again in 2022, Smith got a chance to be the TE1, and this time around, he actually played the first seven games of the season, but like what happened in 2021, he suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the next nine games.
As a result, the Vikings swung their trade for Hockenson, gave him a massive contract extension, and Smith’s chances of being a TE1 in Minnesota disappeared. Following the conclusion of the 2022 season, Smith headed to the Cincinnati Bengals and put together 18 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown over the course of 12 games this past year while playing behind Tanner Hudson and Drew Sample.
Now, Smith has another chance to rejuvenate his career by playing in an offense that has raised the Lombardi Trophy in each of the past two seasons and catching passes from Patrick Mahomes.
Of course, there is a lot of tight end talent already in Kansas City, including an all-time great in Travis Kelce along with solid depth in Noah Gray, who caught 28 passes last season.
Smith will turn only 26 years old in August.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.