This year’s free agency period has been an absolutely wild one. We’ve seen Derek Carr sign with the Saints, Jalen Ramsey get dealt to the Dolphins, and tense discourse between Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Those have been the major headlines. Past those bombshell moves and stories are the smaller signings. One of those is the Cincinnati Bengals signing former Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. to a one year deal. Not lighting the world on fire, but a decent, low risk signing. Irv Smith Jr. views this as much more than that.

When speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Irv Smith Jr. stated “I’ve watched a lot of Bengals games over the years. I wanted to be a part of this opportunity to chase a ring and be a part of something special. … I feel like I’m almost the missing piece to get us that Super Bowl.”

While I do love the confidence from him, as a Vikings fan, I watched him play a lot of games. He’s not a game-breaking tight end that can push a team over the top like Darren Waller, Travis Kelce, or George Kittle. He’s not even a real threat as a blocker. Again, I think the confidence is great, but we need some real perspective.

Can Irv Smith Jr. Stay On The Field?

The quick and easy answer is no. But it does become a bit more complex. Since entering the league in 2019, he’s only played one full season. In four seasons, Smith has only played in thirty seven games. In 2021, he tore his meniscus and missed the whole season. This past season he missed multiple games due to an ankle injury. Overall, he’s just not a durable player.

Cincinnati made a smart deal by signing him for just a year. The finances of his contract haven’t been made clear yet, but I imagine it’s not a lot of guaranteed money and more incentive based. I just think that only playing in nine games the past two seasons doesn’t make him the game-breaking tight end that he believes he is.

The Numbers Don’t Add Up

In addition to not being able to stay on the field, Smith hasn’t been very efficient. The Vikings traded for his replacement while he was still healthy by dealing for T.J. Hockenson. The writing was on the wall that Smith was done in Minnesota after his numbers weren’t on par with what they were expecting.

As a rookie, he had a decent season. He played the full season, catching 36 passes for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns. The following season, Smith expanded on a decent rookie campaign by catching 30 passes for 365 yards and 5 touchdowns. That was the peak for Smith. He missed the 2021 season with an injury and in the nine games he played last season, he caught 26 passes on 38 targets for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns. Not overly impressive for a guy who is a Super Bowl contending X-Factor.

When you compare Smith’s numbers to Hayden Hurst, who was the Bengals starting tight end last year, it’s drastic. In sixteen games, Hurst caught 65 passes on 85 targets for 555 yards and 3 touchdowns. Hurst was far more efficient than Smith and Cincinnati lost out on him to the Falcons in free agency. They also never made a legitimate run at a tight end like Mike Gesicki, Dalton Schultz, or Austin Hooper.

The Blocking Factor

To put the cherry on top of why Irv Smith Jr. isn’t the missing piece to a Bengals Super Bowl run is the blocking factor. Smith stands at 6’2, 240 pounds while last years tight end, Hayden Hurst has a 6’4, 250 pound frame. Hurst was a more physical blocker and when the Vikings brought in a run heavy package, Smith came out of the game. T.J. Hockenson and Johnny Mundt came in the game to block. There isn’t a lot of depth to Smith’s game.