Bengals Roster Breakdown: Trenton Irwin's reliability keeps earning him trust in Cincinnati's offense

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.Today, we give some attention […]

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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Trenton Irwin
© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.

Today, we give some attention to the only (known) child actor on the Bengals. Wide receiver Trenton Irwin has come a long way from advertising Kraft Velveeta cheese as a wee lad. He first joined the Bengals a year before Joe Burrow was even drafted. He's not only still on the team five years later, he's one of the most reliable pass-catchers at Burrow's disposal. Not bad for someone who could be mistaken for a surfer bro.

Trenton Irwin

  • Age: 28
  • Year: 6th
  • Position: Wide receiver
  • College: Stanford
  • Previous Teams: Miami Dolphins
  • Jersey Number: 16

Irwin signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent four years at Stanford where he played immediately as a true freshman in 2015, catching 12 passes for 150 yards. He posted 37 catches for 442 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore in 2016, and 43 catches for 461 yards and two touchdowns as a junior in 2017, earning Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention in both years. He finally became a starter as a senior in 2018, registering career-highs in receiving with 60 receptions for 685 yards along with two touchdowns and, once again, a Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention followed. Despite only starting for one season, he finished his Stanford career 10th all-time in receptions (152) and 12th all-time in yards (1,738).

Miami only kept Irwin for the 2019 offseason before being waived at final cuts. The Bengals first added him to the practice squad a little over a month later. He spent 11 games on the practice squad before seeing the field for the first time in the regular season finale. He made the practice squad again in 2020 and was active for one game that season as well. He caught his first pass for five yards in Week 16 against the Houston Texans. He started on the practice squad again in 2021, but was soon signed to the active roster in Week 2. He played in seven games that season, catching two passes for 34 yards. 

Irwin re-signed with the Bengals as a free agent for the first time in 2022, but he began his fourth season in Cincinnati on the practice squad yet again. Following three elevations in the middle of the season, the Bengals signed him to the active roster and began featuring him in the offense while Ja'Marr Chase was out with a hip injury. Irwin caught his first career touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11, and his second came just three weeks later against the Cleveland Browns. He ended up with four touchdowns in just nine regular season games played. He also played in all three postseason games.  

It was the breakthrough Irwin was looking for, and 2023 saw Irwin put together the best season of his career thus, playing 16 games (five starts) and posting 25 receptions for 316 yards and one touchdown. He also took over as the team's punt returner while Charlie Jones missed time due to a thumb injury. 

Contract details

Irwin signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal earlier this offseason that will pay him a base salary of $1.075 million for the 2024 season. He also earned a $250,000 signing bonus, a $50,000 workout bonus, and can earn up to $125,000 in per game roster bonuses this season. 

Because Irwin played in 16 out of 17 games last season, a little over $7,350 is considering not likely to be earned (NLTBE). Irwin can earn all $125,000 if he plays in every single game, but the Bengals only have to put it on the cap sheet at exactly $1,492,647 instead of the $1.5 million figure.

Roster outlook

Irwin first established himself as a reliable weapon when Chase missed time to injury two years ago. Now that Chase is out for non-injury reasons, Irwin is being counted on once more as a starter in his place. This tells you everything you need to know about how the Bengals view him. 

When Chase returns from his "hold-in," Irwin will still be one of the top four receivers on the Bengals' depth chart even if Andrei Iosivas ends up as the third option next to Chase and Tee Higgins. Rookie Jermaine Burton will make a push here shortly following his impressive preseason debut, but Irwin has little left to prove. He's a known commodity who excels in his ancillary role.

So long as he's athletically competent, what's to stop the Bengals from keep re-signing him to cheap contracts? The fit is simply right.

Projected role: First receiver off the bench

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