Happy National Tight Ends Day to everyone who celebrates it!
Among those enjoying the football holiday were the NFL tight ends themselves, who scored 16 touchdowns and totaled 177 receptions – the most catches by tight ends on any day in the league’s history. That’s also more TDs than have ever been scored since San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle created the day of recognition for his position and colleagues in 2018.
Let’s start with the tight ends who caught two touchdowns for their respective teams in Week 8. The showcase game for the position was the Atlanta Falcons’ 31–26 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with four touchdowns from tight ends.
Here are all the tight ends who found the end zone in Week 8 Sunday action ahead of the “Monday Night Football” game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants
Thank you to the TightEnd gods 🙏🏽🫡
— Kyle Pitts👑 (@kylepitts__) October 27, 2024
Kyle PittsFalcons: 2 TDs, 4 catches, 91 yards
Cade OttonBuccaneers: 2 TDs, 9 catches, 81 yards
Pitts’ second score of the day brought some uncertainty. At the goal line, it appeared that Bucs defenseman Antoine Winfield Jr. might have knocked the ball away. But after replay review, it was ruled that Pitts had crossed the goal line before the ball came loose.
David NjokuBrowns: 1 TD, 5 catches, 61 yards
Dalton KincaidBills: 1 TD, 4 receptions, 31 yards
Travis KelceChiefs: 1 TD, 10 catches, 90 yards
Perhaps it’s fitting that one of the NFL’s best-known tight ends had his best game of the 2024 season on the day he celebrated his position. Travis Kelce caught 10 passes for 90 yards in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-20 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. His touchdown too took him to fifth place on the all-time NFL TD list for tight ends.
Two games featured teams with two different tight ends catching touchdowns. The first was the Detroit Lions in their 52-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
Sam LaPortaLions: 1 TD, 6 receptions, 48 yards
Brock WrightLions: 1 TD, 1 catch, 8 yards
LaPorta was the only tight end to catch a TD from a non-quarterback, hauling in a pass from running back David Montgomery on a trick play.
The other team to have two tight ends catch touchdowns was the Denver Broncos in their 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Nate AdkinsBroncos: 1 TD, 1 catch, 3 yards
Adam TrautmanBroncos: 1 TD, 3 catches, 73 yards
Tyler ConklinJets: 1 TD, 3 receptions, 42 yards
Mark AndriesRavens: 1 TD, 5 catches, 36 yards
The Green Bay Packers’ 30–27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars featured a tight end touchdown catch each from each team.
Tucker KraftPackers: 1 TD, 3 receptions, 78 yards
Evan EngramJaguars: 1 TD, 4 catches, 36 yards
Engram’s TD was huge, taking the catch between three defenders to tie the score at 27-27 with 1:48 left in the game.
George Kittle, 49ers: 1 TD, 6 receptions, 128 yards
George Kittle caught a huge touchdown for the 49ers in the second half of their game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, giving them a ten-point lead at the time. His six catches for 128 yards led the Niners to a 30-24 victory over the Cowboys.
Recognition is also earned by the tight ends who put up great numbers in Week 8 but failed to score a touchdown. No one at the position had a better statistical day than Trey McBride, who tallied nine receptions for 124 yards as the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Miami Dolphins 28-27.
Additionally, Mike Gesicki caught seven passes for 73 yards for the Cincinnati Bengals and Zach Ertz of the Washington Commanders grabbed six receptions for 66 yards.
