The Cincinnati Bengals had some competition before signing Irv Smith Jr. in free agency.
But those other teams didn’t have Joe Burrow.
They also didn’t have Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and possibly a status as contenders.
Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager dropped this nugget after the signing: “A good sign for how far the Bengals have come… Irv Smith, Jr. had multiple offers and chose to play for Cincinnati over the rest because of Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and an opportunity to win.”
This isn’t the first time major names have mentioned the Bengals as a potential destination over the last few years and it won’t be the last. Even Orlando Brown reached out to the team first, with the team initially thinking he was out of their range.
For Smith, he now has a chance to be the latest tight end to cash in majorly after playing in the offense and with Burrow. He’ll be the third or fourth option in the offense, provided he can stay healthy and the Bengals don’t grab a prospect early in the draft that they consider an instant, every-down starter.
