Why Tight End Is the Glamour Position of Sports

Yahoo

14 hours ago

Why Tight End Is the Glamour Position of Sports originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
No position in the NFL and maybe all of pro sports has changed more than tight end over the years. For it to turn into a glamour position would have been nearly unthinkable 40 years ago, when they were mainly blockers. But here we are. Tight ends are dating pop stars, getting drafted high and making more noise than ever before.
Advertisement
This week, 'Tight End University' met for the fourth time since its inception in 2021. What started as a clever but small-scale idea from Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Greg Olsen is now a signature offseason event. The amazing thing for tight ends ... this is just the beginning. They're evolving rapidly and will just get better in coming years.
Here are seven reasons why tight end is the hottest position in football...
1. They win
Kelce and Kittle demanded the respect to form Tight End University because they've appeared in a combined seven Super Bowls. Add five more for fellow Tight End U participant Rob Gronkowski.
Advertisement
'If you look at the past 10 Super Bowl winners,' Kittle said to ESPN, 'every team has either a Gronk, a Kelce... Dallas Goedert.... you have an elite tight end."
The teams that haven't quite made the Super Bowl also rely heavily on the position. Look at the top offenses from last season: The Ravens, who had the No. 1 offense last season, have Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Sam LaPorta is a key part of Detroit's No. 2-ranked offense and Cade Otten emerged as a weapon in the No. 3 offense, Tampa Bay.
2. They're matchup nightmares
Tight ends are the perfect weapon for the modern game. Defensive players have gotten smaller to counter passing attacks. The elite tight ends overwhelm defensive backs. If the defense tries a bigger linebacker, they can't match the speed. Having smaller defensive linemen also means faster, lighter tight ends can compete when blocking at the point of attack.
Advertisement
Offensive coaches, both in the NFL and college, are taking advantage. The rate of 12 personnel — one back and two tight ends on the field — has been steadily rising. The new breed of elite coordinators like Ben Johnson and Kellen Moore are adept at using tight ends, and many college coaches are following suit. It's a copycat league. When the good offenses have success, everyone will follow.
3. They've evolved into elite athletes
Decades ago, 6-foot-5, 245-pound athletes who could run a 4.5-4.6 40 were rare. Now they're everywhere. And they have moves. And they can catch. They came up playing 7-on-7 just like receivers.
In this year's NFL Draft, No. 10 pick Colston Loveland came in at 6-6, 248 pounds and No. 14 pick Tyler Warren is 6-5, 256 pounds. They both can move and cut at an elite level already. Every year, more incredible athletes come into the league at the position.
Advertisement
Credit former college basketball players like Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham, whose combination of height and agility helped usher in a new era. Or teams turn receivers into tight ends, like Darren Waller.
The most physically unique tight end might be Kyle Pitts (6-6, 246), who went No. 4 overall to the Falcons in 2021. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Pitts hasn't lived up to expectations.
4. They still have linemen mentality
We know the clichés. Wide receivers are divas. Tight ends are more salt of the earth. While those stereotypes aren't always true, tight ends seem to have more humility. No matter how many catches they have, tight ends still have to block. Even Kelce, arguably the greatest pass-catching tight end of all time, is 35 and was getting after guys last year when the Chiefs transitioned to a more conservative offense.
Advertisement
Gronkowski was as talented a blocker as most offensive linemen and personified that mentality. He would do whatever was needed for the Patriots, even as he became one of the biggest stars in the league.
5. They're entertainers
Call it the Taylor Effect. Back in the day, tight ends didn't have enough swag to pull a music star. As fantastic as Mark Bavaro was in the '80s, he never dated Madonna. Now, Kelce not only dates Taylor Swift, he's roped her into the tight end community by convincing her to perform at this year's TEU.
It's no accident that Gronkowski, Kelce and Kittle have gotten involved with WWE events. They feel like naturals. Kittle recently said that after he retires, he wants to transition straight into pro wrestling.
Advertisement
When Athlon Sports caught up with WWE superstar Seth 'Freakin'' Rollins at the Super Bowl earlier this year, he backed up this idea — two of his three picks for NFL players who would be great wrestlers were tight ends:
6. The new TE superstar
Even as stars such as Kelce and Kittle are on the back nine of their careers, the position has a clear new star: Brock Bowers of the Raiders. The 2024 crop of rookies featured several outstanding wide receivers — Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Marvin Harrison Jr., Ladd McConkey, Rome Odunze — yet it was Bowers who led all rookies with 112 receptions.
7. They have their own day
Tight ends even have a holiday – the fourth Sunday in October has been 'National Tight End Day' since 2019. No other position is honored in the same way. Last season, tight ends celebrated by catching 16 touchdowns and a single-day record 177 passes. The day keeps growing. If you're a defensive coordinator, you might want to bracket the other team's tight end this year.
Advertisement
Related: LeBron James, 'Ring Culture' and 10 Quarterbacks That Need to Win a Super Bowl
Related: Former NFL Great Jimmy Graham's Next Challenge: the Arctic Ocean
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.