Just in case the breathlessly excited fantasy coverage of Brock Bowers has led you to believe that he is, undeniably, a tier-of-one player, let’s take a quick look at the all-time single-season reception leaders at tight end:
Trey McBride, 2025 - 126
Zach Ertz, 2018 - 116
Evan Engram, 2023 - 114
Brock Bowers, 2024 - 112
Trey McBride, 2024 - 111
Travis Kelce, 2022 - 110
Jason Witten, 2012 - 110
Please note that Trey McBride — a currently active 26-year-old All-Pro — occupies both the first and fifth spots on that list. He finished as the runaway TE1 last year and the TE3 the prior season. Based on everything each player has actually accomplished in the NFL, McBride probably has the better case to enter 2026 as the consensus top tight end.
A fair number of fantasy industry thought leaders are fading McBride (perhaps because he was just a little too good last season), but let’s please acknowledge that he’s clearly capable of dominating his position. He belongs to the same tier as Bowers without question.
Also, let’s not fall for the “Who else do they have?” argument regarding Bowers or the “Too many mouths to feed!” nonsense with McBride, because each of those is a silly rhetorical trap. Both players will be fed relentlessly. McBride saw 51 more opportunities than the NFL’s second-most targeted tight end last season and he destroyed everyone in terms of fantasy scoring, regardless of format. Even if he gives away a few opportunities in the year ahead, he can still comfortably lead his position in everything that matters.
Again, McBride delivered the fifth-best single-season tight end reception total two years ago, so it’s not as if he’s a one-hit wonder.
We have at least three other prime contenders to finish as the overall TE1 in 2026, although none of them have received the variety of fawning praise reserved for Bowers.
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