TE Offseason 2026

State of the Position: Mike Gesicki is a Bonafide weapon still heading into his age 31 season. His catch numbers were way down this year but he still played well when healthy and made big plays when counted on. He plays more than 75% of his time in the slot. Drew Sample is his counterpart. He doesn’t make many big plays (8 catches) and PFF doesn’t love his blocking, but the coaches and teammates love him and that’s really all that matters. He only played in the slot 8% of the time in 2026. He lined up in the backfield 119 times.

Noah Fant led all Bengals tight ends in catches and touchdowns. He also had three fumbles all returned for touchdowns in terrible situations. Cam Grandy only played 28 offensive snaps but he’s still just 25 and the team seems to really like him. Tanner Hudson is everything you would want in an end of the bench veteran tight end. 19 catches, 168 yards and 2 scores, a great connection with the QB, wildcat QB and 224 Special teams snaps.

Erick All rounds out the tight ends on the roster. He didn’t play all year after a torn ACL that may have been a result of previous poor surgery of a previously torn ACL. If healthy he’s a starter level do everything tight end. His injury and solid play keep the position captive in a sense.

The Need: A healthy Erick All style player. The question will be if they give up on All and invest in a new starter or roll with what they have. I am assuming they give up on Fant, who is a Free Agent, after his fumbles.

The tight end position should be very interesting overall this offseason. Free Agency is loaded with current starters including Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, Cade Otton, Isaiah Likely, Chig Okonkwo, Kyle Pitts, David Njoku, Darren Waller, and Dallas Goedert and potential cap casualties in TJ Hockensen and Cole Kmet. Many of those players would be interesting additions but most will have primary pass catcher roles or are more Gesicki than All.

The teams that might need starting tight ends are Miami, Kansas City, Washington, Minnesota, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia,

The Candidates

The Long-Term Starters

Jeremy Ruckert would have been high on this list but he recently re-upped with the Jets on a two-year ten-million-dollar deal that might be a blueprint for the two players below.

Charlie Kolar has been buried on a deep Ravens team for years behind Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews. Andrews has re-signed and Likely is a free agent but that doesn’t make his role any clearer. Kolar has just 30 catches in his career but caught 168 catches in his college career. His run blocking grade last year was excellent, and he played primarily inline. If he wants to be a bigger part of a passing offense, we can probably offer that.

Daniel Bellinger is another player who might be looking for greener pastures. He was buried a bit in the Giants offense behind Theo Johnson. His pass blocking was excellent this year, much improved over his first three years. He played in the backfield for 133 snaps. He’s just 25 and has 88 career catches. He might be in high demand in a new system under John Harbaugh.

The Veterans

Tyler Higbee will be 33 and had a decent season both catching passes and blocking while playing primarily inline. The Rams seem to really like him but they have Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson all returning. There are worse ways to end your career than catching passes from Joe Burrow.

Mo Alie-Cox has always been on my list as he consistently outplays his contracts. The former VCU basketball player has shaped himself into a very solid blocker playing primarily inline. He’s still a solid pass catcher although his numbers aren’t special. The Colts have invested heavily at the position and could move on. He’s already 32 and wouldn’t be a long-term solution.

Robert Tonyan might be the most realistic hedge at the position. He only caught one pass in 2025 but he had solid blocking numbers playing primarily inline. He is the kind of after the draft signing where you are hopeful you get some semblance of the huge seasons he had in Green Bay. He will be 32.

Foster Moreau played with Joe Burrow at LSU in 2018 catching 22 passes. He only caught seven balls this year while fighting injuries but had 32 catches last year. He’s primarily played inline and while his pas blocking grades were solid his run blocking wasn’t. He’s 29.

It all comes back to All. If they assume that he is done a player like Ruckert, Bellinger or even Higbee make sense. If they think he’s back, I still like adding a player like Moreau or Tonyan to hedge. Tight end seems very similar to wide receiver in that it’s a position where players might come to play with Burrow. Like RB and WR I expect TE won't be addressed until after a few weeks into free agency or after the draft....if at all.

We could use an upgrade here for sure. Can't rely on the hope Erik All will have a fully healthy season when he hasnt the past two years. Dude is good and may very well be the answer we need for the 3rd pass catcher, but we need him healthy.

10 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

We could use an upgrade here for sure. Can't rely on the hope Erik All will have a fully healthy season when he hasnt the past two years. Dude is good and may very well be the answer we need for the 3rd pass catcher, but we need him healthy.

He makes it hard to sign anyone in a sense because we want him to be the future, but can't count on him. Could be a camp signing again. This is similar to when the Bulls were dealing with Lonzo Balls injury

Just now, MichaelWeston said:

He makes it hard to sign anyone in a sense because we want him to be the future, but can't count on him. Could be a camp signing again. This is similar to when the Bulls were dealing with Lonzo Balls injury

I think I draft someone. I realize this isnt a real thing, but most of these draft simulators Ive done dont really have value for defensive players where we draft in the 3rd, just WR and TE, and a few TEs. If there is a TE in the 3rd I draft him. I also would be surprised if Fant is back, honestly

Hudson just re upped for 2026

1 minute ago, Jamie_B said:

I think I draft someone. I realize this isnt a real thing, but most of these draft simulators Ive done dont really have value for defensive players where we draft in the 3rd, just WR and TE, and a few TEs. If there is a TE in the 3rd I draft him. I also would be surprised if Fant is back, honestly

Fant might be the easiest way to go. What are the chances he fumbles again? He was decent otherwise. Prior to this year he had 1 in his 6 years

Just now, MichaelWeston said:

Fant might be the easiest way to go. What are the chances he fumbles again? He was decent otherwise. Prior to this year he had 1 in his 6 years

Oh for sure the 3 fumbles hurt us, but how often do those things happen?

Even so he was brought in late after All was done, I suspect he wont be retained. Just my opinion, i think they thought of him as a 1 year rental when All went down.

5 minutes ago, New Jersey Bengal said:

Hudson just re upped for 2026

Good...I've always liked his play.

4 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

Oh for sure the 3 fumbles hurt us, but how often do those things happen?

Even so he was brought in late after All was done, I suspect he wont be retained. Just my opinion, i think they thought of him as a 1 year rental when All went down.

Ironically i mis-read your previous post and you talked me into bringing Fant back when you were actually saying he is probably gone. He does seem like the type of low cost likable veteran they try to keep around

Just now, MichaelWeston said:

Ironically i mis-read your previous post and you talked me into bringing Fant back when you were actually saying he is probably gone. He does seem like the type of low cost likable veteran they try to keep around

agreed

7 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

agreed

Let's presume that Eric All is healthy.

All-Gesicki-Sample-Hudson.

Where does Fant fit in?

How many TEs do they need?

1 minute ago, claptonrocks said:

Let's presume that Eric All is healthy.

All-Gesicki-Sample-Hudson.

Where does Fant fit in?

How many TEs do they need?

Honestly? Assuming All is healthy, Sample is the only guy on that list that due to his ability to block, isnt cuttable. Gesicki isnt getting it done imo

22 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

Honestly? Assuming All is healthy, Sample is the only guy on that list that due to his ability to block, isnt cuttable. Gesicki isnt getting it done imo

Fair enough..

53 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

Gesicki isnt getting it done imo

But Joe loves him...so there is that.

1 minute ago, Le Tigre said:

But Joe loves him...so there is that.

I am fully on board with keeping Joe happy, but I think the best way to do that is by getting him a winning team.

played well when healthy

New team motto right here.

He doesn’t make many big plays (8 catches) and PFF doesn’t love his blocking, but the coaches and teammates love him and that’s really all that matters.

I wish winning football was all that mattered. Unfortunately for us, the Cincinnati Bengals are primarily run as a charity organization.

2 hours ago, Le Tigre said:

But Joe loves him...so there is that.

I like him too.

Unless they find a true slot receiver they'll use him there.

Big target..

8 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

Honestly? Assuming All is healthy, Sample is the only guy on that list that due to his ability to block, isnt cuttable. Gesicki isnt getting it done imo

Why is Sample uncuttable? There are lots of better blocking TEs than him.

2 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

Why is Sample uncuttable? There are lots of better blocking TEs than him.

That cost less than 2.8 million?

Wait, we're not allowed to upgrade our blocking if the replacement costs more than 2.8 mil? Sample got one of those Bengal-special front loaded contracts that was pretty bad at the time it was signed. So, now that he's cheaper, we have to just put up with poor blocking and no receiving from the H-back position?

PFF has Sample as the 45th best run blocking TE in the league in 2025. How does that make him hard to replace?

2 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

That cost less than 2.8 million?

And James Casey says the offense runs through him in a sense.

2 hours ago, sparky151 said:

Wait, we're not allowed to upgrade our blocking if the replacement costs more than 2.8 mil? Sample got one of those Bengal-special front loaded contracts that was pretty bad at the time it was signed. So, now that he's cheaper, we have to just put up with poor blocking and no receiving from the H-back position?

PFF has Sample as the 45th best run blocking TE in the league in 2025. How does that make him hard to replace?

You can't put a price on smiles!

I'm curious to see if the keep Noah "Count" Fant.

I liked him but his drops were costly.

And All is washed.

6 hours ago, High School Harry said:

I'm curious to see if the keep Noah "Count" Fant.

I liked him but his drops were costly.

And All is washed.

All is washed up?

You think his injury is that bad?

6 hours ago, High School Harry said:

I'm curious to see if the keep Noah "Count" Fant.

I liked him but his drops were costly.

And All is washed.

All should not be counted on as its tough to come back from an injury and be the same guy two years in a row. But it's also premature to call him washed, until we see it.