Bengals Rookie Could Get His Chance to Shine After Tanner Hudson's Season Ends
· Yahoo Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals took a major blow on Tuesday afternoon as tight end Tanner Hudson will miss the rest of the season with a torn pec he suffered against the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday.
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The Bengals beat the Dolphins 31-24, and Hudson caught three passes and scored a touchdown. He was the Bengals' second-most productive tight end behind Mike Gesicki, one of Joe Burrow's favorite targets so far this season.
In Hudson’s absence, 7th-round pick Jack Endries could very well line up for a much more involved role. He had a good preseason and popped, earning a roster spot as a late-round pick. Erick All is more of a hybrid, run-blocking tight end, while Hudson was more of a receiving-focused pass-catcher who wasn’t as good at blocking. Endries is known as a receiver and could slide into Hudson’s role, proving himself as a young player.
Cincinnati could also lean more on Erick All, but he's made a healthy number of mistakes in the last couple of weeks that could lead the coaching staff to shy away from giving him a major role. All fumbled against the Dolphins and was fortunate Miami stepped out of bounds before they could grab it, giving the ball back to Cincinnati.
He also committed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on a kickoff that cost the Bengals, prompting Zac Taylor to give All a tongue-lashing on the sideline. Cincinnati also hasn't been efficient on the run, and All is on the field as a blocker, which should be his bread and butter.
My prediction is Cincinnati gives Endries a chance to show his abilities as a pass catcher. He has taken just one offensive snap this season, according to PFF. He had six catches for 43 yards and a touchdown in three preseason games.
Endries was a heralded tight end after the 2024 season, transferring from Cal to Texas for his final season of college football. Endries had 56 catches for 623 yards and two touchdowns. He then had a less impressive year with the Longhorns, catching 33 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. However, he did so in the SEC, a much tougher conference.
In this pass-heavy Bengals offense, there can never be enough weapons. Cincinnati drafted Endries, hoping he’d develop into a reliable tight end, given they had aging tight ends and others in the final years of their contracts.
Endries could get his time to shine in week seven, after Cincinnati’s bye week.