The Irv Smith Jr. era in Kansas City was a short one. However, things seem to have worked out at his next stop.
Smith found a home for the coming season with the same team that gave him a chance after leaving the Chiefs. NFL reporter Adam Schefter posted the news that the Houston Texans decided to bring back Smith for another run in '25.
The Kansas City Chiefs signed Smith early in free agency last year to add a veteran pass catcher to the competition behind Travis Kelce. After the 2024 NFL Draft, however, the Chiefs not only had Kelce and Noah Gray but they also decided to add fourth-round pick Jared Wiley to the rookie class.
The Houston Texans like what they saw from Irv Smith last year enough to bring him back.
By the time training camp was wrapping up, it was clear that Smith was lower on the depth chart than he needed to be, and the Chiefs released the veteran. The team even traded for Peyton Hendershot before the season began, shaking up the tight end position even further.
The Texans signed Smith one month later to their practice squad, and he was eventually promoted to the team's active roster for the final five games of the season.
Smith entered the league as one of the most heralded tight ends in his class in the 2020 NFL Draft. A second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings at No. 50 overall, Smith played out his rookie deal in the Minnesota before heading to play for the Cincinnati Bengals in his fifth season.
The Texans are Smith's fourth NFL stop, but the tight end is still surprisingly young—he'll turn 27 before the season begins—despite logging so many miles in the NFL already. The Texans clearly have reason to believe he can help bolster a passing attack for C.J. Stroud.