In recent years, the tight end position has been a revolving door for the Cincinnati Bengals. Once CJ Uzomah left for greener pastures, there were several tight ends that tried to fill the void. The revolving door didn’t close until Mike Gesicki landed in Cincinnati and signed an extension to keep him there for multiple years.
There’s been another tight end, though, who has been in the background. He hasn’t been on top of the depth chart, but that hasn’t stopped him from contributing heavily and garnering the trust of Joe Burrow.
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College: Southern Arkansas
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Hometown: Paris, Tennessee
Cap Status
Hudson signed a one-year contract worth $1.35 million, which included $50,000 guaranteed. His salary counts for less than one percent of the team’s total salary cap. This is the third one-year deal he’s signed with the Bengals.
Background
Hudson started his collegiate career as a quarterback and punter at Memphis before transferring to Southern Arkansas, where he transitioned to tight end. The position change turned out to be the right move, as Hudson became one of Division II’s most productive tight ends. He finished his college career with 143 catches for 2,152 yards and 25 touchdowns, earning first-team All-GAC honors and second-team All-American recognition his senior year.
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Hudson went undrafted in 2018 and signed as a free agent with the Buccaneers. He spent three seasons bouncing back and forth between the active roster and practice squad, and earned a Super Bowl LV ring. He had brief stops with the 49ers and Giants before the Bengals signed him to their practice squad late in the 2022 season.
Hudson emerged as a reliable receiving option for the Bengals in 2023, posting career highs with 39 receptions for 352 yards and his first NFL touchdown. He developed strong chemistry with backup quarterback Jake Browning and has remained a dependable depth piece at the position ever since, catching 19 passes in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Outlook for 2026
The top tight end on the depth chart is Mike Gesicki, but he’s a tight end in name only. He’s more of a slot receiver than a tight end. Drew Sample is going to be above Hudson on the depth chart as well, but he plays as an H-Back as much or more than he does at tight end. Hudson has carved out a nice little space for himself on the Bengals’ roster.
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He’s not as good of a blocker as Sample, and he’s not the receiver Gesicki is, but he can do both when he’s asked to, and he can do both well.
The biggest threat to Hudson in 2026 is Erick All. A local kid, All hasn’t taken a snap since 2024 and has been dealing with a knee injury that started back in college. All is reportedly healthy, and if he can stay that way, he’ll cut into Hudson’s playing time. If All is unable to stay healthy, though, the Bengals could do a lot worse than Hudson as their TE3.
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