Irv Smith Jr. Not Sweating Joe Burrow's Absence: The Quarterback 'Is Very Active' in Cincinnati's Facility

Smith signed a one-year deal with Cincinnati this past spring.

CINCINNATI — Of the expected top targets in the Bengals passing offense, no one is newer to the team than tight end Irv Smith Jr. after coming over from Minnesota this spring. 

He is the latest starting tight end for the Bengals but hasn't been able to mesh on the field with Joe Burrow recently because of the quarterback's calf strain.

The former Vikings first-round pick chatted with AllBengals Elise Jesse this week and touched on how he's still able to connect with Burrow despite the QB missing time.

"It's growing every day," Smith said about their relationship. "Obviously, he's not at practice right now. In the meeting room, things like that he's very active. Just showing him that we can make plays as a group. Receivers, tight ends, running backs, O-Line just building our confidence. He's the leader of this team. And you know, we believe in him more than anybody, so it's awesome having a guy like that in big games and stuff like that. It's really gonna matter."

C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst are the prior two examples of how playing with Burrow can land tight ends nice paydays. Smith could be the next finished product on that assembly line.

He dove into a few more topics with Jesse, including how much weight he loses per practice and what he eats to refuel.

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