Hart alumnus Trenton Irwin hit another career milestone on Sunday with his first NFL touchdown.
Irwin reeled in a 1-yard pass from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to help Cincinnati (6-4) take a 24-20 lead over the hosting Pittsburgh Steelers (3-7) in the third quarter.
The former Indian finished with a career-high three receptions for 42 yards and a score in the 37-30 win over Pittsburgh.
“Man, that guy,” said Burrow in his live streamed Bengals’ postgame interview. “Ever since I’ve been here, [Irwin’s] in there foam rolling, catching tennis balls. He hasn’t had a ton of opportunities but every single time his opportunity comes, he makes a play. I couldn’t be happier for him. Those are the kind of guys that Bengals’ football and the Bengals’ organization is all about.”
The absence of star receiver Ja’Marr Chase has cleared up some playing time for Irwin, who had more yards and receptions on Sunday than all of 2021.
The Bengals receiver now has 83 receiving yards in his three games of action this year as he competes for playing time in one of the best receiving corps in the NFL.
Irwin will look to boost the Bengals’ win streak to three games when the team heads to Tennessee next Sunday for a matchup with the Titans (7-3), who are also looking for their third in a row.