Talk about making a splash on your first career catch.
Eagles tight end Tyree Jackson finally got on the board in the NFL and he made it count, making his first career catch this three-yard TD grab from Gardner Minshew in the first quarter of Saturday’s Eagles-Cowboys season finale:
Jackson, the Eagles’ nominal third tight end, had only been targeted twice this year before the touchdown grab, but he was set to see extra reps in the season finale with both Dallas Goedert and Jack Stoll inactive due to being on the COVID/reserve list.
The 24-year-old, who was a collegiate quarterback at Buffalo, is in his first year with the Eagles. He was undrafted out of Buffalo in 2019 and actually played QB in the XFL in 2020 before signing with Philly as a tight end in January 2021. He spent the first two months of the season in injured reserve thanks to a back injury suffered in training camp, and was activated on Nov. 7.
Richard Rodgers was elevated from the practice squad to join Jackson on the active roster at the tight end spot for the game, and he was targeted (and caught a pass) on the play preceding Jackson’s TD, marking Rodgers’ first grab and target of the season - this one from another college QB turned skill player in wide receiver Greg Ward.
Of course, Jackson becomes just another link in the lineage of quarterbacks turned tight ends
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