The tight end position hasn’t been great for the Cincinnati Bengals through two games and Jace Sternberger is an intriguing name to watch on the waiver wire. The Packers, who took Sternberger in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, waived the young tight end after his two-game suspension was served.
While at first glance, one might wonder why the Bengals should target a tight end who hasn’t lived up to his draft billing and I’d certainly understand why. Sternberger has had just 12 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown through 18 career games but he’s missed a lot of time due to injury.
This means there’s an incredible amount of upside with the former Texas A&M standout and it’s not like the Bengals are ripe with talent at tight end. C.J. Uzomah has been okay throughout his career but is in the final year of his deal while Drew Sample has not been good as a pass-catcher. Fans were excited about Thaddeus Moss but he’s stashed away on the practice squad until further notice.
The #Packers are waiving TE Jace Sternberger, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 21, 2021
While at Texas A&M in 2018, Sternberger was a freak of nature whenever the ball was headed in his direction. He finished his lone season in College Station with 48 catches for 832 yards and 10 trips into the end zone, which is what put him on the map when the 2019 NFL Draft rolled around.
Cincinnati Bengals should put in a waiver claim for Jace Sternberger
There’s still a lot we don’t know about Sternberger and a change of scenery could do wonders for him. The Bengals are a team that desperately needs production from their tight ends and they haven’t gotten that through two games.
Sternberger isn’t going to come in and be a game-changer from the jump but there’s upside with this guy. He’s only 25 years old and he’s worth taking a flier on, especially considering the lack of production from the tight end position to this point.