The Cincinnati Bengals may have found something at the bottom of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Rookie tight end Jack Endries made his presence felt Thursday night in Cincinnati’s 16-14 preseason victory over the Detroit Lions, finishing with three receptions for 25 yards and catching the Bengals’ only touchdown.
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And his first NFL touchdown came from a quarterback who has been playing professional football almost as long as Endries has been alive. Joe Flacco found Endries for a four-yard touchdown, giving the rookie a moment he won’t soon forget.
“Awesome person to catch a touchdown from,” Endries said after the game. “That guy’s a legend. I play catch with him every day, so it’s cool. Got a little connection there.”
Flacco apparently understood what the moment meant to the 22-year-old. After the play, the veteran quarterback made sure the football didn’t disappear.
“I heard he ran after the play and grabbed the ball,” Endries said. “I didn’t know that. That’s really cool.”
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For Endries, Thursday night’s performance was the latest step in a journey that began with considerably less fanfare.
Endries originally walked on at Cal, redshirting in 2022 before developing into one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in college football. He caught 35 passes for 407 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, earning Freshman All-America recognition. The following season, he broke out with 56 receptions for 623 yards and two touchdowns, earning honorable mention All-ACC honors.
His quarterback at Cal was Fernando Mendoza, who went on to become the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Endries transferred to Texas for the 2025 season and started all 13 games for the Longhorns, catching 33 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his college career with 124 receptions for 1,376 yards and seven touchdowns in 39 games while starting every one of them.
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Despite that production, Endries waited much longer than expected to hear his name called on draft weekend. The Bengals finally selected him in the seventh round with the 221st overall pick.
Endries came into camp with something to prove, and he still has a long way to go. He seems to understand that catching passes, even touchdown passes, won’t be enough to get him there.
“A tight end is a do-it-all type of guy that can play special teams and play every position on offense,” Endries said Thursday night.
Endries still has plenty of work ahead of him before the Bengals make their final roster decisions. One preseason game isn’t going to settle that competition. But last night’s efforts were a pretty good way for a seventh-round rookie to introduce himself.
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