The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs ended up needing to search for tight end help during the 2024 offseason.
No, All-Pro Travis Kelce isn’t going anywhere — this move was not pertaining to his future. But who is new Chiefs tight end Irv Smith Jr.? Here’s a closer look into the brand-new TE option for Kansas City.
Who Is New Chiefs Tight End Irv Smith Jr.?
Smith Jr. became a March 14 signing during the ’24 free agency period.
He becomes a much younger addition to the TE room, as Smith Jr. won’t turn 26 until August. But, he’s now on his third NFL franchise.
Smith Jr. first came to the league in 2019 as a second-round selection out of Alabama, where he became a national champion. The Minnesota Vikings became the first to give him an opportunity. He ended up needing just two seasons in Tuscaloosa to emerge as a surefire Day 2 selection for the Vikings. While suiting up for legendary national champion-winning head coach Nick Saban, Smith snatched 58 total receptions for 838 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in two seasons.
His 2018 campaign became his most stellar with the Crimson Tide. In 15 total games, he caught 44 passes for 710 yards and scored seven times. Smith Jr. also averaged 16.1 yards per catch.
He even starred for a stacked Alabama ’18 roster that featured Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Patrick Surtain II, Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Josh Jacobs, Trevon Diggs, Jaylen Waddle, Mac Jones, and Najee Harris — all of whom either became first-round selections or were involved in major free agency moves for this free agency cycle.
After three seasons with Minnesota, Smith Jr. played the 2023 season with the Cincinnati Bengals. Smith Jr. comes from an NFL family, as his father was a former first-round selection by the New Orleans Saints in the 1993 NFL Draft.
Irv Smith Jr.’s Contract Details
Smith Jr. is coming over on a one-year deal with the back-to-back Super Bowl winners.
Once contracts became official after the March 13 signing period across the league, Smith Jr. officially signed a deal worth $1,292,500.
Included in his Chiefs contract according to Spotrac is a base salary of $1.125 million. He even gets a roster bonus worth $167,500. He’ll carry a dead cap of $384,000.
This is a lesser contract compared to what Smith Jr. signed with the Bengals. In 2023, he agreed to a one-year deal but worth $1.750 million. Smith Jr. was also handed a $400,000 signing bonus at the time of his Bengals signing.
Smith’s entry-level rookie deal in Minnesota was a four-year one that paid him up to $5.8 million.
Irv Smith Jr.’s Career Stats
As a role player in an offense, Smith Jr. has become more of a TE2 piece for every offense he’s played for.
In his first two seasons of the league, Smith Jr. surpassed the 30-catch mark with 36 in his rookie season to 30 in season two. He played for a Vikings offense that featured two-time Pro Bowl veteran Kyle Rudolph.
But his 2020 campaign witnessed Smith Jr. improve his yardage (365), average yards per catch (12.2), and touchdowns (five) from his rookie year. Unfortunately for Smith Jr., he was unable to participate in the 2021 season after revealing on Sept. 1 that he suffered a torn meniscus.
In his 2022 return, Smith Jr. was limited to only eight total games with one start. He caught 25 passes for 182 yards and scored twice.
For his lone season in Cincinnati, Smith Jr. found his way to the starting lineup in six games. He ended 2023 with career lows of 18 receptions, 115 yards, and only one touchdown — which came against the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 5.
The now-fifth-season TE became one of two skill-position additions for the Chiefs’ offense. He joins Marquise “Hollywood” Brown as the other new weapon coming into K.C. Smith Jr. is expected to form a TE tandem with the perennial Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl winner Kelce.
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