Who Should I Start? Jordan Matthews or Irv Smith

Thursday, May 8, 1:02 PM

The Carolina Panthers released tight end Jordan Matthews on Thursday, league sources tell The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye. The former wide receiver will now hit the open market after re-signing with the team in early January on a Reserve/Futures deal. The 32-year-old former second-round pick (42nd overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014 out of Vanderbilt ended up with just one target in four games played (one start) in his two seasons with Carolina the last two years. Since transitioning to a tight end, Matthews hasn't made an impact at the NFL level since leaving the Eagles with the San Francisco 49ers and Panthers. In his 10 NFL seasons, Matthews has recorded 274 catches on 423 targets for 3,288 yards and 22 touchdowns, with pretty much all of that production coming from 2014-18.

Saturday, April 19, 12:22 PM

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Houston Texans have re-signed former Kansas City Chiefs tight end Irv Smith Jr. to a one-year contract. The financial details have not been disclosed. Smith Jr., a former second-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, came into the league with much excitement surrounding him. However, he could never get it going as many injuries hampered his playing time early on. The last time he saw in-game action was back in 2023, and he's only played one full season in his six years in the league. Currently, he'll compete with teammates Brevin Jordan and Cade Stover for playing time behind the incumbent starter, Dalton Schultz. Besides deep dynasty formats, Smith Jr. can likely be left off fantasy rosters.