Jan 8, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants helmet on the bench against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings flogged the New York Giants on Sunday 28-6, an opening-day beatdown that was the purple team’s most lopsided win in five years.
Soon after, the Giants’ front office finagled a deal with a former Vikings wide receiver — Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted Monday, “The Giants have signed WR/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette, most recently of the Panthers.”
Smith-Marsette auditioned for the New Orleans Saints roster last week but did not parlay the visit into a contract. Instead, he’ll live on the Giants’ active roster after injuries recently affected Darius Slayon and Gunner Olszewski. Here’s the WR room in New York:
Back in 2021, fans labeled Smith-Marsette as a possible breakout candidate. He fired up flashes of promise in his rookie season, and many tabbed the young wideout as the club’s presumptive WR4 for 2022.
Smith-Marsette joined the Panthers late last summer via trade from the Kansas City Chiefs after winning a Super Bowl in 2022. The Vikings released Smith-Marsette on the same day in August of 2022 that Jalen Reagor joined the club via trade. The news was stunning for Vikings fans, as most held him in high regard and penciled him in for a 53-man roster spot.
But that forecast was fan-driven, as Smith-Marsette struggled mightily in his next adventure with the Chicago Bears. His tenure in Chicago lasted about seven weeks in 2022. The Bears said sayonara to the 23-year-old in October after a series of bloopers, as Smith-Marsette encountered drops, penalties, fumbles, and generalized futility with the Bears, so the relationship was short-lived.
Soon after, he signed with the aforementioned Chiefs and won the Super Bowl for his troubles, although he participated in just 13 plays as a Chief. Kansas City didn’t keep him on the roster beyond 2022, sending him to Carolina via trade. Here’s Smith-Marsette’s career resume to date:
Minnesota selected Smith-Marsette in the 5th Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but like much of that draft class, he was chopped by Minnesota’s new leadership regime in 2022. Seventy-three percent of the Vikings 2021 draft class now plays elsewhere.
As a rookie in 2021, Smith-Marsette caught 5 passes for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. His career seemed to trend upward in Minnesota then but never really took off.
The Giants also employ former Vikings Austin Schlottmann (center, IR), Duke Shelley (cornerback), and Benton Whitley (outside linebacker).
New York travels to Washington for a division game this Sunday and is pegged to lose by three.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.