The long-time Bengal simply fell behind Jermaine Burton and Andrei Iosivas in the pecking order, making him expendable. He only caught three passes for 15 yards for Cincinnati this year. The 28-year-old offers special teams value and probably will be able to pick up a new job for the final month of the season.

The Bengals enter Week 7 without too many injury inactives. Irwin is a healthy scratch, with Jermaine Burton rotating back into the wide receiver rotation this week. Burton has gotten limited opportunities when active, so fantasy managers should not expect much from him against the Browns this week.

Irwin had the best season of his career in 2023 when he stepped in to catch 25 passes for 316 yards and one touchdown while Tee Higgins missed five games. Now back in Cincinnati, Irwin can once again be counted on his depth behind Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, and could find himself in a slightly increased role if the Bengals were to trade Higgins.

It closes the book on a career campaign for 28-year-old Irwin, with his 25 catches going down as a new personal best. Not a bad total for a career backup, but the only number that matters there is Irwin’s age. Even if both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd depart in free agency, Irwin isn’t going to be a part of the Bengals’ future plans on offense. Special teams, maybe.