Ty Simpson Compares Alabama's 'Safety Blanket' to Two NFL Greats

The Crimson Tide quarterback explains how tight end Josh Cuevas resembles Travis Kelce and George Kittle.

Jan 27, 2020; Miami, FL, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) greets Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) during Super Bowl LIV Opening Night at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama has been praised for its wide receiver corps since the beginning of the offseason.

But Crimson Tide tight end Josh Cuevas has been a bit of an unsung hero in his second year at Alabama. In 2023 and 2024, this position group was led by CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts, but they both went to the NFL in the offseason and it was Cuevas' room to lose.

Cuevas said on March 25 that "It's definitely a little bit of an adjustment of stepping into that leadership role a little bit more." Fast forward to today, and he has an impressive 126 yards and two touchdowns on 13 receptions through five games. Additionally, the 6-foot-3, 256-pounder has been a key blocker for quarterback Ty Simpson and the run game.

"Dude's insane," Simpson said on Tuesday. "Dude's got some of the best ball skills I've ever seen. You know, for people to say he's a smaller guy, but he puts his face mask in people like he's 6-foot-7, like he's Kadyn Proctor. I'm just glad he's on my team, to be honest with you.

Simpson opened up a bit more about Cuevas' journey from playing for a small school to being the starting tight end at the mecca of college football and he compared him to two NFL greats.

"We can use him in so many different ways," Simpson said. "And then, us asking him to do the stuff that he does, it's incredible. Like, the fact that that guy came so far from an FCS school to Washington to here and is playing at an All-American level — he's my guy, man. I thank him every day."

"He's like a safety blanket. You know what I mean? Not many tight ends can act like Travis Kelce and block like George Kittle."

Kelce, lately referred to as Taylor Swift's fiancé, is widely regarded as one of the best tight ends in NFL history. The Kansas City Chiefs standout has the third-most career receptions and receiving yards for a tight end and also has the fifth-most touchdowns at the position. The 36-year-old is a 10-time Pro Bowler, a four-time First Team All-Pro, a three-time Super Bowl champion and is well on his way to being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

While Kelce is more of a receiving tight end, Kittle is a hybrid between catching and blocking. Simpson pointed out the six-time Pro Bowler's blocking efforts, which have led to elite seasons for San Francisco 49ers running backs, including Christian McCaffrey. In terms of abilities as a pass-catcher, the 31-year-old ranks 14th among tight ends in receiving yards, 16th in receptions, 23rd in touchdowns and also has a good shot of being immortalized in the Hall.

Not bad comparisons for Cuevas as the season continues.