Which tight ends get the most targets while leading?
Dalton Schultz leads all NFL tight ends with 44 targets while leading, on 34 receptions and 2 receiving touchdowns across 14 games.
NFL Tight End Targets While Leading
Ranked by TGT · 2025 regular season| # | Player | TGT | REC | YDS | TD | CTH% | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalton Schultz Houston Texans · #86 | 44 | 34 | 301 | 2 | 77.3% | 14 |
| 2 | Tyler Warren Indianapolis Colts · #84 | 42 | 32 | 290 | 1 | 76.2% | 13 |
| 3 | Hunter Henry New England Patriots · #85 | 40 | 28 | 393 | 3 | 70.0% | 15 |
| 4 | Dallas Goedert Philadelphia Eagles · #88 | 34 | 26 | 237 | 5 | 76.5% | 13 |
| 5 | George Kittle San Francisco 49ers · #85 | 34 | 27 | 322 | 3 | 79.4% | 7 |
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Open this in the Stat Explorer →Why this matters
Leading changes what a passing game is trying to accomplish. Instead of stretching a defense vertically, an offense wants completions that keep the chains moving without risking a turnover, and a tight end working the middle of the field is the safest version of that request a quarterback can make.
This is a different mechanism than a run-heavy approach to protecting a lead, even though both share the same goal. A team can still throw plenty while ahead; it simply directs those throws toward the least risky target on the field rather than eliminating passing altogether, and a reliable tight end is usually that target.
Distinguish a tight end who earns this trust from a player who simply plays on a team that leads often. The clearer test is whether his role changes once the lead arrives — a target share that holds steady or grows while ahead points to a specific, protected job, while a share that only appears because his team is winning often says more about the roster than about him.