Vikings News: Irv Smith Jr. heading to the AFC for the 2023 season

Some Minnesota Vikings news dropped late on Monday when it was revealed that Irv Smith Jr. is taking his talents to the AFC to play for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Minnesota Vikings news has certainly died down a bit since the start of free agency, but there have definitely still been some things worth paying attention to.

On Monday, it was reported by NFL Media’s Peter Schrager that former Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Vikings News: Irv Smith Jr. given a fresh start by the Cincinnati Bengals

When Minnesota decided to use a second-round pick on him in the 2019 NFL Draft, some felt Smith had the potential to become the next great tight end in franchise history.

However, numerous injuries and inconsistent play when he was actually out on the field resulted in the young tight end having a bit of a disappointing four-year tenure with the Vikings.

Injuries really prevented Smith from making much of an impact for Minnesota during the last two seasons. He missed the entire 2021 campaign with a knee injury, and last season, he missed nine games due to an ankle injury.

He’s only caught 25 passes for 182 yards since 2021, but since he’s currently just 24-years-old, he still has plenty of time to turn his NFL career into something much closer to the expectations he was given when he was drafted in 2019.

Following the departure of Hayden Hurst earlier this month, the Bengals were in need of some tight end help. So Cincinnati is hoping that Smith can be someone who will help make up for the loss of Hurst in 2023.