Who is Tanner Hudson? Tight end goes from Cincinnati practice squad to big game vs Buffalo
The Bengals' 24-18 win against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football was the biggest game of the season so far for Cincinnati's tight ends.
Drew Sample had three catches for 30 yards with a touchdown. Irv Smith Jr. had three receptions for 26 yards with his first TD as a Bengal.
Tanner Hudson, elevated just days ago from the practice squad to the active roster, had four big catches for 45 yards.
"Tanner I have a lot of faith in. He makes plays on scout team every week," quarterback Joe Burrow said of Hudson after Sunday night's game. "So when he was up, I felt really confident about his ability to get open and make plays for us."
NBC's Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth also offered praise of Hudson during the broadcast.
"Maybe the Bengals have found a good complement, and another piece to this offense," Tirico said.
"It's not always about who runs the fastest or throws it the farthest, right?" Collinsworth added. "I know that's what everybody wants to watch the draft and make it out to be, but that's not what it is."
What to know about the 6-5, 240-pound Hudson:
Hudson played quarterback, kicker and punter at Tennessee's Camden Central High School.
An injury limited Hudson to just four games as a senior, and playing time as a QB at Memphis would've been a challenge as Paxton Lynch became a star for the Tigers.
Hudson also scored more than 1,000 points during his basketball career at Camden Central, averaging 18.5 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks per game as a senior.
Hudson transferred from Memphis to Div. II Southern Arkansas.
The Tigers recruited Hudson as a QB and punter. After he transferred, he moved to receiver, and later played tight end.
Hudson played in 43 games over four seasons for the Muleriders. He was named first-team all-Great American Conference in 2017.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Hudson as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Hudson spent his first NFL season on the Bucs' practice squad.
Hudson earned a roster spot with Tampa Bay in 2019. He had two catches that season.
In 2020, Hudson played in 11 regular-season games and all four postseason games for the Bucs' Super Bowl 55-winning team. He made three catches for 41 yards.
Hudson was signed to the Bengals' practice squad late in the 2022 season.
Hudson had appeared in two games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021, spending most of that season on the team's practice squad. He made 10 receptions for 132 yards in 11 games for the New York Giants in 2022.
Hudson impressed in training camp before the 2023 season. He was cut, but re-signed to the practice squad.
Hudson hasn't scored an NFL touchdown yet.
The tight end has 19 NFL regular-season receptions, but has yet to reach the end zone.
Hudson had two catches for 30 yards against the Rams, and two catches for 18 yards against Tennessee.
He matched his season total with his four-catch effort on Sunday night.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Tanner Hudson? Cincinnati tight end impresses vs Buffalo
