The Cincinnati Bengals have a few players who could be here for a good time, not a long time. Like two ships crossing on a foggy night, these four players have potentially aligned themselves temporarily with the Bengals for what could be a “one and done” deal.
Enjoy them now because there is no guarantee they will be here next year.
All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless noted otherwise
4. Irv Smith Jr.
This offseason, the Bengals signed Irv Smith Jr. to a one-year contract. In his case, being one-and-done would not necessarily be bad.
Hayden Hurst was one and done in Cincinnati last year. He signed a one-year, $3.5M contract with the Bengals. He flipped that into a three-year, $21.75M deal with the Carolina Panthers.
The Bengals brought in tight end Irv Smith Jr. hoping he’d be a suitable replacement for Hurst. If not, Smith could be one and done.
On the other hand, if he exceeds all expectations, he could still be one and done, as he would look for a Hurst-type of deal. The Bengals might balk at the years or the dollars of a contract similar to Hurst’s.
Last year, Hurst pulled in 52 receptions for 414 yards and two touchdowns. There is no reason that Smith Jr., a former second-round pick, can't reach those numbers with Joe Burrow as his quarterback. If he does, he could price himself out of the Bengals' price range as Hurst did.