Tight ends are all the rage for the Cincinnati Bengals after 151 of quarterback Joe Burrow's 258 passing yards last Sunday found the hands of three different tight ends. Featuring the position group so heavily in a game featuring no Tee Higgins and Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase constantly being bracketed was one of a few crucial evolutions the Bengals' offense made against the Kansas City Chiefs. And depending on the opponent, this could be a theme for the Bengals all season long.
They finally have the personnel for it. Bengals' tight end depth is an actualized luxury Sunday proved to be the blueprint of how Cincinnati's tight end group should look for the remainder of the season. Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, and rookie Erick All Jr.
are locked in as Burrow's top three targets at the position. Their roles will vary, but the collective talent they provide is something the Bengals haven't had in Burrow's career. During his weekly press conference Thursday afternoon, Burrow reflected on how much 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends on the field) the offense ran on Sunday, and how that's possible because of the personnel they have at the position.
"The usage of 12 [personnel] could vary week-to-week depending on matchups and what we feel like the defense is going to give us in those situations," Burrow said. "And we have the guys to make that decision this year, we have a lot of tight ends that we feel really good about putting them on the field and going to make p.