Son of former Notre Dame legend unable to catch on with the Kansas City Chiefs during roster cuts

A lot was expected from former Alabama star tight end Irv Smith Jr. when he was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings , who was released by the Kansas City Chiefs this week. It has been a less than ideal NFL journey for him thus far.

His time with the Vikings was fresh off of a breakout junior campaign for the Crimson Tide, hauling in 44 receptions for 710 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging an impressive 16.1 yards per reception.

Smith’s career with the Vikings was mired by inconsistency and some injuries the last couple of seasons. In total, he played three years in Minnesota. During that time, he hauled in 91 receptions for 858 yards and nine touchdowns. After leaving the Vikings, Smith spent one season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023, where he was an afterthought offensively collecting just 18 receptions in 12 games.

Notre Dame fans are also very familiar with the name Irv Smith, with his father of the same name being a star for the Fighting Irish in the early 1990s. He had to wait his turn behind some really talented tight ends, but eventually broke up during the 1992 season. During that year, Smith hauled in 20 receptions for 262 yards and two touchdowns. That season helped propel him to being selected in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.

His son will now have to regroup, and figure out his next step. He’s a talented player who unfortunately hasn’t found the right fit yet. It will be interesting to see what’s next for Smith.