'Several Teams' Reportedly Interested in Delanie Walker

New England, which is desperately short on tight ends, among those who are said to be looking at the 35-year-old former Titans star.

Delanie Walker could not be on the field to help the Tennessee Titans beat the New England Patriots in last season’s wild card round.

Now, he might join the NFL’s most successful franchise of the past two decades. Or another one.

ESPN reported Monday that the 35-year-old (he will be 36 next week) tight end is preparing himself physically to play this season and “has received levels of interest from several teams.” The only team named was the Patriots.

Walker has been a free agent since mid-March, when the Titans released him due to a failed physical.

An ankle injury and subsequent issues related to it limited him eight games played over the past two seasons. He was placed on injured reserve at the end of November. Before the injury, he averaged 71.2 receptions per season in his first five years with Tennessee. He set career-highs with 94 receptions and 1,088 yards in 2015 and seven touchdown receptions in 2016.

New England, in particular, needs help at tight end. Veteran Matt LaCosse opted to sit out the season due to COVID-19 concerns, which leave the Patriots with four players at that position – three of them rookies – on the roster.

Ben Watson, with 17 catches for 173 yards, was that team’s top receiving tight end in 2019. Walker had 21 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns in just seven appearances last season.

Among tight ends who were active in 2019, Walker is sixth with 183 games played, 84 of which were with the Titans. He joined Tennessee as a free agent in 2013 after seven seasons with San Francisco, where he was primarily a blocker and occasionally a fullback.

He is the Titans’ all-time leader in receptions by a tight end (381) and one of 16 tight ends in NFL history with at least 500 receptions. For his career, he has caught 504 passes for 5,888 yards and 36 touchdowns.