Ex-Broncos TE Noah Fant Became Frustrated With How He Was Used ...

Skip to main content Advertising

Around the NFL

Ex-Broncos TE Noah Fant became frustrated with how he was used in offense Published: Mar 31, 2022 at 09:09 AM

Kevin Patra

Senior News Writer

• Copied!

Noah Fant was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft based on raw athleticism and talent that could be a difference-maker at a burgeoning position in the Broncos offense. The tight end showed flashes in three seasons in Denver, but it never coalesced into consistent, Pro Bowl-level play.

During his time in the Mile High City, Fant never breached the 700-yard mark. Moreover, his yards per reception steadily declined during his three seasons. After averaging 14.1 yards per catch on 40 receptions as a rookie, that figure dipped to 10.9 on 62 catches in 2020 and 9.9 on 68 in 2021.

As part of the trade that brought Russell Wilson to the Broncos, Fant now heads to Seattle. He told 104.3 The Fan in Denver this week that he became frustrated with how he was used in Pat Shurmur's offense with the Broncos. In Fant's view, he's a field-stretching weapon but was primarily utilized as an outlet with run-after-catch ability.

"I feel like when I came into the league, that's what I was drafted to do, right?" he said of making explosive plays. "Get down the field, make those explosive plays, and kind of be that pass catching tight end. And over my time in Denver, I felt like that narrative kind of got muddled down a little bit. It was more of a focus of me catching flat balls or whatever it may be, and then trying to be a shifty guy and elusive guy and try to break as many tackles possible to get my yards. I view myself as a downfield threat, getting open space, then I can make things happen. It was a little frustrating being used in the short field."

The comments underscore the restraints put on the offense by Shurmur and the inconsistent quarterback play during the TE's three seasons in Denver. Unfortunately for Fant, he won't be around for the Russell Wilson-Nathaniel Hackett era.

Fant noted that he found out about his trade to Seattle from TV reports. The 24-year-old wishes he'd have found out in a more direct fashion.

"Honestly, like from my perspective, I'm not going to say I've been the perfect prospect drafted in Denver, but I felt like I've done some pretty good things in Denver and had some really good moments," he said. "But you know, it's a part of the business and I think that's kind of what I learned the most from this whole experience. I kind of like, you know, bled blue and orange a little bit and then when it kind of comes down to it, which is totally understandable, they had a chance at Russell Wilson. But it's kind of anybody's expendable so it just was one of those things."

Fant now heads to Seattle, where the QB situation remains unsettled. Former Denver teammate Drew Lock remains the leader for the starting job, but that could change in the coming weeks.

After the Broncos failed to use Fant as a field-stretching weapon, we'll see if things change with his move to Seattle. The Seahawks haven't had a tight end average more than 11 yards per catch since Jimmy Graham in 2016 (14.2) with Wilson under center. Now that they have a new quarterback, will the offense's use of the TE drastically change in Pete Carroll's new vision?

Related Content

news

Raiders set to hire Seahawks QBs coach Andrew Janocko as offensive coordinator

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to hire Andrew Janocko, formerly the Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach, as their new offensive coordinator, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported Sunday.

news

Seahawks hiring 49ers tight ends coach Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator

The Seattle Seahawks are hiring San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach/run game coordinator Brian Fleury as the team's new OC, Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported Sunday.

news

Buccaneers LB Lavonte David 'still thinking about' whether to return for 15th NFL season

In each of the past three offseasons, Buccaneers great Lavonte David has weighed his NFL future before eventually returning to Tampa Bay on a one-year deal. Will the 36-year-old follow a similar path to Year 15 in the league? The jury is still out.

news

Giants HC John Harbaugh 'consumed' with building team worthy of eventual Super Bowl parade

Giants head coach John Harbaugh has visions of bringing a Super Bowl parade to New York, but he knows the process and building a foundation for the future now is key.

news

Ja'Marr Chase on Bengals' offseason expectations: 'Everybody pretty much knows what we need'

Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is not shy about the fact that Cincinnati needs to add talent on defense, but he's also committed to keeping his head down and providing an individual performance that will make the most of any additions.

news

Raiders promote defensive line coach and run game coordinator Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator

The Las Vegas Raiders are promoting defensive line coach and run game coordinator Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on Saturday.

news

Rams safety Quentin Lake explains why he has 'more respect' for rival Seahawks than 49ers

Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake explains why he has "more respect" for NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks than the San Francisco 49ers.

news

NFL teams celebrate Valentine's Day on social media

Love is in the air on Valentine's Day -- and the NFL isn't immune to the charms of the day. Teams around the league took to social media to celebrate the holiday with some of their best player-related puns.

news

Jaguars still plan to utilize Travis Hunter as two-way player but could flip usage to full-time CB

The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to play Travis Hunter as a full-time cornerback and part-time wide receiver in 2026, NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported on Friday's episode of The Insiders. 

news

Three-time Olympic medalist Chloe Kim on Browns' Myles Garrett: 'He's my rock'

American snowboarder Chloe Kim, who fell just short of a three-peat in the Olympics women's halfpipe, took home the silver medal on Thursday with her boyfriend, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, in attendance at the 2026 Winter Games.

news

Cardinals retaining Nick Rallis as defensive coordinator on Mike LaFleur's staff

The Arizona Cardinals will retain defensive coordinator Nick Rallis on Mike LaFleur's staff, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Friday.

news

NFL news roundup: Bills hire John Fox as senior assistant coach

NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown.

Big left arrow icon Big right arrow icon Close icon Copy Url Three dots icon Down arrow icon Email icon Email icon Exit Fullscreen icon External link icon Facebook logo Football icon Facebook logo Instagram logo Snapchat logo YouTube logo TikTok logo Spotify logo LinkedIn logo Grid icon Key icon Left arrow icon Link icon Location icon Mail icon Menu icon Open icon Phone icon Play icon Radio icon Rewind icon Right arrow icon Search icon Select icon Selected icon TV icon Up arrow icon User icon Audio icon Add to calendar iconNFC icon AFC icon NFL icon Carousel IconList ViewWebsite InstagramTwitterFacebookSnapchatShop IconProfile Overlay AvatarAddAirplayArrow LeftArrow RightArrow UpArrow DownAudioBack 5sBack 10sBack 30sCalendarChartCheckDownLeftRightUpChromecast OffChromecast OnCloseClosed CaptionsBench OffBench OnBroad OffBroad OnVertical OffVertical OnCommentDockDoneDownloadDraftFantasyFilterForward 5sForward 10sForward 30sFull Screen OffFull Screen OnGamepassGamesInsightsKeyLeaveLiveCombineDraftFantasyMenu GamesMenu NetworkMenu NewsMenu PlayoffsMenu Pro BowlMenu ShopMenu StandingsMenu StatsMenu Super BowlMenu TeamsMenu TicketsMenuMore HorizontalMore VerticalMy LocationNetworkNewsPauseplayMultiple PlayersSingle PlayerPlaylistPlayoffsPro BowlPurgeRefreshRemoveSearchSettingsShare AndroidShare Copy URLShare EmailShare FacebookShare InstagramShare iOSShare SnapchatShare TwitterSkip NextSkip PreviousStandingsStarStatsSwapTeamsTicketsVideoVisibility OffVisibility OnVolume HiVolume LowVolume MediumVolume MuteWarningWebsite Caret downCaret upAtNewsPlayAudioGalleryPromo Chevron right The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Got it!