Zac Taylor Praises Erick All as Bengals Tight End Returns From Major Knee Injury

One of the biggest question marks on the Cincinnati Bengals roster is tight end Erick All. The Cincinnati native attended both Michigan and Iowa during his college career, racking up 74 catches for 864 yards and five touchdowns.

Standing at 6-foot-4, his athletic ceiling as a pass catcher and run blocker is obvious. He showed it consistently in college, but his inability to catch on in the NFL is largely due to his lengthy injury history, dating back to his time at Michigan.

All suffered a back injury in 2022, then tore his ACL at Iowa in 2023, according to Yahoo. In November 2024, during his rookie season, he injured the same knee so badly that he missed the entirety of the 2025 season with the Bengals. He is just now returning to football during June OTAs.

During his lone season of action with the Bengals, which consisted of nine games, All caught 20 of his 22 targets for 158 yards.

“He loves football,” Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “He loves the physical portion of football. The word physical in the dictionary is a picture of Erick All trying to put his face through somebody’s soul. That’s the best way I can describe it.”

All was one of the best yards-after-the-catch tight ends in college football during the 2023 season, breaking tackles and showing the physicality Taylor spoke about Tuesday.

The Bengals' tight end room isn't exactly wide open and waiting for someone to take the top spot, with Mike Gesicki likely being the No. 1 option entering the season. Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample and newly drafted Jack Endries are on the roster as well. 

If All can remain healthy, which is a big if given his aforementioned history, he has just as good a chance to contend for a high-volume role in the Bengals offense as Hudson and Endries, and he has the talent to compete with Gesicki to be the No. 1 option.

He'd be a great fit in 12 personnel as a true hybrid tight end, as his physicality would aid him as a run blocker, along with what he's proven as a reliable pass catcher on short and intermediate routes. He was integral in Michigan's running game under Jim Harbaugh.

Gesicki struggled with injuries, dealing with hamstring and pectoral issues during the 2025 season, which led to his most underwhelming offensive season since 2023, catching just 28 passes for 307 yards and two scores. Entering his age-30 season, there is a chance his production could decline.

Hudson was serviceable in Gesicki's absence, recording 19 receptions for 168 yards. All has a chance to separate himself in his first full season of football if he can stay healthy.