Chris Herndon is expected to be the starting tight end for the Jets. Some expect Tyler Kroft to give Herndon a run for his money.
Brian Costello of the New York Post recently flagged the tight end job as a position battle to watch in camp. Costello calls Kroft, a free-agent acquisition from the Bills, “has been one of the bigger surprises of the spring,” and that Kroft spent “a lot of time” with the first-team offense during offseason drills.
Whoever wins the job, the implementation of the 49ers offense in New York underscores the importance of the tight end position.
Herndon, a fourth-round pick in 2018, enters a contract year at a salary of $2.183 million. Kroft has a $1.25 million base salary with up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses. He received $250,000 to sign.
Kroft enters his seventh NFL season, after four years in Cincinnati and the last two in Buffalo. His best year came in 2017, with 42 catches for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2020, he had 12 catches for 119 yards and three touchdowns.