Can Versatile TE Anthony Firkser Fill Patriots Need?
FOXBORO — While several NFL fans routinely clamor for their favorite team to employ a player capable of ‘taking the top off the defense,’ versatility continues to hold intrinsic value.
Prior to stepping on a pro football field, recently-signed New England Patriots tight end Anthony Firkser demonstrated an ability to be effective in numerous situations for his alma mater, Harvard University.
As such, it may make him a solid fit within coordinator Bill O’Brien’s offense.
During the Crimson’s 2016 annual matchup with Yale, a contest typically dubbed as ‘The Game,’ Firkser — a Harvard senior — ran a flag route on third and 9 right in front of the Yale bench. As Go Long recounted, Crimson quarterback Scott Hosch, the Ivy League Player of the Year, over-shot this throw and Firkser somehow leapt to snag the pass with his left hand to keep the drive moving.
Yale’s players were shocked.
However, longtime Harvard coach Tim Murphy saw Firkser’s catch as common place for his athletic tight end.
“In a sport full of “11” personnel — one back, one tight end, three wide receivers — there’s still a distinct value in “12,” in leaning on players who can make a play like this,” Murphy said in retrospect. “He does it while also blocking the C gap in the run game. Your playbook completely opens up.”
Having played his college football under Murphy at Harvard, Firkser became quite adept in 12-personnel (one back, two tight ends) as well as in several blocking schemes. Doubling ads the Crimson’s tight ends coach, Murphy saw pro-level Firkser’s ability to excel in a program which produced such pro-level talent as Kyle Juszczyk and Cameron Brate.
Still, Murphy fondly remembers Firkser’s versatility as his most prominent trait. Not only was the young tight end valuable as a fullback/H-Back hybrid, he also ranks 12th all-time in the school’s history in receptions, ninth in receiving yards and sixth in touchdown receptions.
Firkser joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 2017. After being released at the end of training camp, he was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, where he spent the remainder of the season. Firkser signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2018, where he spent his next four seasons as a backup. The 6-3, 220-pound tight end appeared in 58 games for the Titans, compiling 106 receptions and five touchdowns. In fact, his face may be familiar for some Patriots fans, who remember his touchdown catch against the team in Tennessee’s 2019 wild card win at Gillette Stadium.
Though he played in 11 games for the Atlanta Falcons last season, catching nine passes on 13 targets for 100 yards, 2023 may be considered a comeback year for Firkser. The 28-year-old expected to compete for the third tight end spot on the Pats roster, behind expected starters Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki.
Firkser will get his first chance to make an impression on his new coaches and teammates when the Pats resume OTAs on Wednesday.
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