According to multiple reports the Bengals have reached a deal with wide receiver Trenton Irwin, whose 40 catches and five touchdowns in the past two seasons have elevated him into the game-day role of reliable backup.
Irwin, 28, is coming off a career-high 25 catches and 316 yards. His one touchdown came off a 32-yard throw from quarterback Joe Burrow on third-and-seven when Irwin got a step lined up outside on Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. in a game wide receiver Tee Higgins missed.
With slot receiver Tyler Boyd expected to move on, Irwin's versatility in different sets can be used after a season he started five games and turned in a career-eight catches for 60 yards during the win in Arizona.
He also returned a career-high 10 punts for 98 yards last season with Charlie Jones on the shelf for a month and in that busy game in Glendale he had two for longer than 20 yards.
Irwin signed with the Dolphins in 2019 after he went undrafted out of Stanford before hooking with the Bengals in midseason and has become one of the club's most successful stories of perseverance. After being cut three times by the Bengals, he had his break-out season in 2022 with 15 catches for 231 yards that included his first NFL touchdown on a one-yard throw from Burrow during the 37-30 win in Pittsburgh that was also his first catch of the season and gave them a third-quarter lead they kept.
