Let’s talk about the tight end room
August 5, 2026
by Steve Thomas
Everyone is aware that Washington made some pretty big changes to the tight end group this offseason. First and foremost, the team declined to re-sign the injured Zach Ertz, and instead replaced him with Chig Okonkwo. Then, Washington’s brand new tight ends coach, Ben Steele, who was hired this offseason, was fired after a DUI arrest without making it to a single day of training camp practices. As a result, the team, most likely with few available options this late in the offseason, moved offensive assistant Wes Welker into the tight ends coach role. Ironically, they might have fallen into the perfect person who can make an impact on the this position group.
We all know of Welker’s history as a player – he was the prototype slot receiver, a 5’9”, 185 player most famous for his time with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Welker was a 2x First-Team All-Pro, 2x Second-Team All-Pro, and a 5x Pro Bowler at the position. So, as a result, Washington has gone from a tight end group in 2025 that featured a classic, stereotypical large, slow, but successful tight end in Zach Ertz coached by the 6’5” David Raih, to a dramatically different arrangement. Now, heading into 2026 training camp, Washington has a player group coached by an elite slot receiver and led by a 6’3” player who ran a 4.52 second 40 yard dash and is best known as more of a receiver, not a traditional inline tight end.
Considering that Washington’s receiver group features just one proven star, Terry McLaurin, and then several others who may have talent but are unproven to date, this leads me to believe that the team plans to use their tight ends – at least Okonkwo, at a minimum – in a more dynamic way than was the case with Ertz last season. Certainly, Ertz was able to put up quality numbers in his two years with Washington – 116 receptions for 1158 yards and 11 touchdowns, but I don’t think that he was ever viewed as a dynamic receiving weapon for whom opposing defenses always had to account. Just as important, maybe moreso, is the fact that an elite receiver like Welker is now the position coach is even more evidence of the direction the team is taking. Considering his background, Welker’s focus presumably will be more on route running than a traditional inline blocking scheme.
I’m not sure any of the rest of the team’s tight ends really fit Okonkwo’s mold – Ben Sinnott is 6’5” and slow, more of a backup quality traditional inline tight end at best. Honestly, I’m not sure exactly what specific role John Bates will play, or, for that matter, why he has a $21M contract. None of the rest of the group, i.e., Lawrence Cager, Quentin Moore, and Colson Yankoff, are really in the same category as Okonkwo either. Yankoff is about the same size as is Okonkwo, 6’3” and 233 pounds, but he’s much slower and is unproven to date.
However, with Welker as the new position group coach, my hope is that all of these players, not just Okonkwo, can improve their route running abilities and become a more dynamic part of Washington’s offense going forward. Frankly, I’m not sure Sinnott has the physical capabilities to be anything more than an average inline tight end, but we’ll see – if anyone can bring that one of him, it might be Welker. His strengths as a former slot receiver turned tight end coach really ought to be route running, first and foremost, and presumably he’ll be able to make Okonkwo, at least, and maybe a couple more of these players, become someone defenses need to account for, rather than just an average short-yardage tight end.
The truth is that Washington historically has had a fairly average group of tight ends from a receiving production standpoint. Chris Cooley and Jerry Smith are the two all-time franchise leaders in this position. Cooley had 429 career receptions for Washington, and Smith had 376; however, Smith leads in yardage with 4870 as compared to Cooley’s 4711. Smith is way ahead in touchdowns, with 54, whereas Cooley has just 33. Jordan Reed is a distant third with 329 receptions for 3371 yards, and 24 touchdowns, and nobody else is close. For the sake of context, Cooley is ranked 29th in NFL history amongst all tight ends for receptions. Tony Gonzalez is first with 1325, and is also first in receiving yards, with 15,127. Smith’s 4870 is ranked 46th. Antonio Gates is first in receiving touchdowns with 116; Smith’s 54 is ranked 12th, whereas Cooley’s 33 is tied for 59th.
The point is that it’s high time for Washington to develop and retain an elite receiving talent at the tight end position, and the combination of Chig Okonkwo coached by Wes Welker might just have a chance to accomplish that goal. Okonkwo doesn’t have tremendous numbers so far in his career – in his four seasons, he’s had 32, 54, 52, and 56 receptions, respectively, which is good but not great. What is shows, though, is potential, and his 4.52 40 yard dash time is outstanding for a tight end and bodes well for possible success. He’s already the defacto #2 receiver on the team; the questions are whether (1) Welker’s coaching can propel him up to the level of the NFL’s current crop of elite receiving tight ends, and (2) offensive coordinator David Blough’s offense really is going to feature the tight end position in the passing game to the point at which it becomes a major asset.
None of us know what’s going to happen, obviously, but I’m more optimistic about Washington’s tight end group than I have been in a long time. I think that the team fell into the exact right coach, thanks to the combination of Ben Steele’s DUI and Welker’s availability. Will it work? Not sure. What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below.