A familiar name from the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow era has found another NFL opportunity.
The San Francisco 49ers signed veteran wide receiver Trenton Irwin to a one-year contract Friday, July 31, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
San Francisco also added veteran tight end Josiah Deguara as it continued to bring in receiving help during training camp.
The 49ers later confirmed the one-year deal, giving Irwin another chance to compete for an active-roster spot after a quiet 2025 season.
The move puts one of Burrow’s former depth targets back on an NFL roster.
Irwin has not appeared in a regular-season game since his six-year run with the Bengals ended late in the 2024 season.
Irwin Built His NFL Career With Bengals
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 17: Trenton Irwin #16 of the Cincinnati Bengals returns a kick during a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Irwin’s NFL career unfolded almost entirely in Cincinnati.
After entering the league as an undrafted free agent with Miami in 2019, Irwin joined the Bengals’ practice squad during his rookie season.
He eventually worked his way into the receiver rotation and appeared in 41 regular-season games for Cincinnati, making nine starts.
Irwin finished his Bengals tenure with 46 receptions for 601 yards and five touchdowns.
His best stretch came across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, when he became a useful complementary option behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
In 2022, Irwin caught 15 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns. He followed that with career highs of 25 receptions and 316 receiving yards in 2023 while adding another score.
That production never made Irwin a featured part of Cincinnati’s offense, but he gave Burrow an experienced option when the receiver room needed help. Irwin also appeared in three postseason games for the Bengals, catching two passes for 19 yards.
His role dropped sharply in 2024. Irwin played seven games, started twice and caught three passes for 15 yards before Cincinnati waived him on Dec. 2.
The Bengals had re-signed Irwin to a one-year contract before that season after he had developed into a trusted backup.
By December, Cincinnati was giving more opportunities to younger options at the position, bringing Irwin’s long stay with the organization to a close.
49ers Give Irwin Another Route Back to Active Roster
GettyBALTIMORE, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 16: Quarterback Joe Burrow #9 and wide receiver Trenton Irwin #16 of the Cincinnati Bengals walk off the field following the Bengals loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 16, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Irwin spent 2025 trying to find his next foothold in the league.
Jacksonville signed him in June 2025 after his departure from Cincinnati.
He made it through the preseason but was among the veterans released when the Jaguars reduced their roster to 53 players in August.
Irwin later landed on the Jets’ practice squad in October. The 49ers’ announcement also lists time with Carolina during 2025.
None of those stops led to regular-season game action, so every catch, receiving yard and touchdown in Irwin’s NFL career came in a Bengals uniform.
San Francisco now gives the 30-year-old another chance during a summer in which the team has been actively adding pass-catching depth.
Schefter described the latest moves as “more receiving help,” and Irwin arrives with the preseason approaching.
There’s no guarantee Irwin will make the final roster, but he made his way in Cincinnati by surviving those kinds of competitions.
At his peak, he gave Cincinnati five touchdowns and more than 600 receiving yards from a player who entered the NFL without being drafted.
Nearly two years after the Bengals moved on, Irwin has another training camp to extend his career.
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