'We call him Tom Brady': How Trenton Irwin became a playmaker for the Bengals

The “Jeopardy host” reads the question in the Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver room every Friday. The Bengals’ wide receivers form groups of three and answer questions about the game plan, the offense and different situations that could come up on the field on Sunday.

Before the host even finishes reading the question, wide receiver Trenton Irwin chimes in with the correct answer. The other receivers look at the undrafted free agent who’s now a five-year veteran. They wonder, “How did he do it again?”

“He answers every question within five seconds,” Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas said. “The question asked could be 15 seconds long and Trenton will answer it within five seconds. It’s insane.”

“We call him Tom Brady because Trenton knows everything,” Bengals wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter II said.

Every week, Irwin teams up with Stanley Morgan Jr. and Lassiter. In the Jeopardy games, they’ve developed nicknames. Irwin is Brady, Morgan is future Hall of Fame special teamer Matthew Slater and Lassiter is Rob Gronkowski.

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Because of Irwin, his Jeopardy team has become a dynasty in the Bengals’ wide receiver room.

“The other teams have got the guys who get all the reps,” Irwin said. “I don’t get all the reps. Kwamie and Stan don’t get all these reps. But we’re 8-0 (in the Jeopardy games) this year. That’s our job, to know everything.”

More than brain power for wide receiver Irwin

Irwin’s combination of football IQ, route running, versatility and patience are the reasons he’s still in the NFL. As an undrafted free agent out of Stanford, Irwin initially signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2019. When the Dolphins cut him at the end of the preseason, Irwin was a free agent for over a month until the Bengals picked him up in October of that year. Then for most of the next three years, Irwin was on the Bengals’ practice squad.

Irwin stepped up in November of 2022 when Ja’Marr Chase was out with a hip injury. Irwin played so well that his entire career changed, and he’s now the Bengals’ No. 4 receiver. When Tee Higgins was out last week with a rib injury, Irwin caught eight passes for 60 yards and earned a game ball.

When did Irwin know that he’d actually get a chance to play in the NFL?

“The thing is you don’t know,” Irwin said. “Last year, I didn’t know at all. I was on the practice squad all year until Ja’Marr got hurt. Your job is to be ready regardless.”

Earning Joe Burrow's trust

After Chase injured his hip, he pulled Irwin aside for a conversation. Chase saw how consistent Irwin was on the practice field, and he could tell how much quarterback Joe Burrow trusted Irwin.

Chase told Irwin that he was the next man up, and that this was his moment. Irwin delivered game-changing highlight plays against Pittsburgh, Tennessee and New England and proved who he could be in the NFL.

“He has prepared for these moments all along,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “When he gets in there, the person who’s surprised the least is Trenton Irwin. And probably the second least surprised is Joe Burrow because he’s worked with him and seen he’s ready for those moments. (Irwin) is just a great example of a guy who put in the work and made the most of his opportunities when they came. Because they didn’t come for several years, he had to be patient and I’m sure deep down, there’s a lot of frustration that he never showed to us.”

Irwin had to create his own luck in the NFL. Coming out of college, he wasn’t known for his athleticism like Iosivas and Charlie Jones were. Unlike Tyler Boyd and Ja’Marr Chase, Irwin didn’t post incredible stat lines in college. In his senior year at Stanford, Irwin averaged just 57 receiving yards per game as the No. 2 receiver on a run-first team.

Nothing suggested that Irwin would end up making big plays in the NFL, but Irwin made it happen.

“It’s been all about route running,” Irwin said. “There are a lot of receivers who run 4.5 40-yard dashes and have been around for 10 years. My job is to do as much as I can, whether it be underneath routes, options, outs, reading defenses. My job is to do it all. The more value I have, the better it’ll be.”

Note taking and never missing workouts

Irwin is known for constantly being at Paycor Stadium. In the middle of the summer, he’ll be in the weight room working on getting a little bit faster and a little bit stronger.

Lassiter has learned from Irwin’s note-taking. He recognized that Irwin was always in the right position and saw that Irwin was able to translate adjustments from the meeting room to the field right away. Lassiter saw Irwin’s note-taking process as a way to become more consistent.

Iosivas studies Irwin’s technique. He noticed that Irwin always knew how to find open zones in a defense and that Irwin always made the right choice between going for a possession catch and trying to run for yards after the catch.

Morgan is most impressed by Irwin’s steadiness. Over the last five years, Irwin’s combination of positivity and drive has led to him sticking in the NFL.

“He has been doing the same things he did since the day he got here,” Morgan Jr. said.“It’s paying off. He’s just being Trenton. He came in here every day and did his job. He has always been doing that. Now, it’s showing up in the games.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Trenton Irwin finding place on team