Ryan Griffin (tight end)

Ryan Francis Griffin (born January 11, 1990)[1] is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Connecticut, and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also previously played for the New York Jets.

Ryan Griffin
refer to caption
Griffin with the Houston Texans in 2016
Personal information
Born: (1990-01-11) January 11, 1990 (age 34)
Londonderry, New Hampshire, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:Londonderry (NH)
College:Connecticut
Position:Tight end
NFL draft:2013 / Round: 6 / Pick: 201
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× Second-team All-Big East (2011, 2012)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:210
Receiving yards:2,184
Receiving touchdowns:14
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

College career edit

As a junior, Griffin was one of 25 tight ends to be named to the John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List. He finished his college career with 10 touchdowns and 116 receptions, second all-time by a tight end. His six touchdowns in 2012 tied for second-most in school history for a single season. In 2012, he was named UConn's Offensive Player of the Year.[2]

Professional career edit

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 6+18 in
(1.98 m)
247 lb
(112 kg)
4.87 s 1.68 s 2.84 s 4.44 s 7.01 s 34 in
(0.86 m)
9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)
21 reps
All values from UConn's Pro Day[3]

Houston Texans edit

2013 edit

The Houston Texans selected Griffin in the sixth round (201st overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.[4] Griffin was the 12th tight end drafted in 2013.[5]

On May 12, 2013, the Houston Texans signed Griffin to a four-year, $2.23 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $78,680.[6]

During training camp, Griffin competed to be he third tight end on the depth chart against Phillip Supernaw and Jake Byrne.[7] Head coach Gary Kubiak named Griffin the third tight end on the Texans' depth chart to begin the regular season, behind Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham.[8]

He made his professional regular season debut in the Houston Texans' season-opening 31–28 win at the San Diego Chargers. On October 13, 2013, Griffin caught two passes for 18-yards during a 38–13 loss to the St. Louis Rams in Week 6. Griffin made his first career reception off a ten-yard pass by Texans' quarterback T. J. Yates in the fourth quarter.[9] On October 8, 2013, Griffin was named the secondary starting tight end after Owen Daniels was placed on injured reserve due to a non-displaced fractured fibula he sustained in Week 5.[10] On October 20, 2013, Griffin earned his first career start during the Texans' 17–16 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. On November 10, 2013, Griffin scored his first career touchdown during a 27–24 loss at the Arizona Cardinals. Griffin caught his first career touchdown on a two-yard pass from Texans' quarterback Case Keenum in the second quarter.[11] Griffin sustained a concussion during their loss at the Cardinals and was inactive for their Week 11 loss against the Oakland Raiders.[12] On December 6, 2013, the Houston Texans fired head coach Gary Kubiak after they fell to a 2–11 record. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. In Week 15, he caught a season-high six passes for 62-yards during a 25–3 loss at the Indianapolis Colts. The following week, made five receptions for a season-high 66 receiving yards in the Cardinals' 37–13 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 16.[13] He finished his rookie season in 2013 with 19 receptions for 244 receiving yards and one touchdown in 15 games and eight starts.[14]

2014 edit

Griffin entered training camp slated as the second tight end on the Texans' depth chart and competed to retain the role against rookie C. J. Fiedorowicz.[15] Head coach Bill O'Brien named Griffin the third tight end on the depth chart to start the 2014 season, behind Garrett Graham and C.J. Fiedorowicz.[16] In Week 13, Griffin caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Texans' quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick during the first quarter of their 45–21 win against the Tennessee Titans.[17] On December 21, 2014, Griffin caught a season-high three passes for 25 yards in the Texans' 25–13 victory against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16.[18] Griffin finished the season with ten receptions for 91 yards and one touchdown in 16 games and two starts.[14]

2015 edit

On June 9, 2015, the Houston Texans promoted quarterbacks coach George Godsey to offensive coordinator. Godsey took over offensive coordinator duties from head coach Bill O'Brien.[19] Head coach Bill O'Brien named Griffin a backup tight end to start the regular season, behind Garrett Graham and C.J. Fiedorowicz.[20] On September 15, 2015, the Houston Texans placed Griffin on injured reserve with a designation to return after he sustained a knee injury during their season-opening 27–20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.[21] He was inactive for the Texans' next seven games (Weeks 2–8) due to a sprained MCL. On November 15, 2015, the Houston Texans activated Griffin off of their injured reserve list.[22] In Week 12, Griffin caught a season-high four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown during a 24–6 win against the New Orleans Saints. He finished the 2015 NFL season with 20 receptions for 251 receiving yards and two touchdowns in nine games and four starts.[14]

2016 edit

Griffin entered training camp slated as the second tight end on the depth chart. Head coach Bill O'Brien named Griffin the second tight end on the depth chart in 2016, behind C.J. Fiedorowicz.[23] In Week 3, he caught a season-high eight passes for 52 yards during a 27–0 loss at the New England Patriots. On December 18, 2016, Griffin made eight receptions for a season-high 85 yards in the Texans' 21–20 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15.[24] He finished the season with a career-high 50 receptions for 442 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and five starts.[14]

2017 edit

On January 16, 2017, the Houston Texans fired offensive coordinator George Godsey. Head coach Bill O'Brien took over duties as the Texans' offensive coordinator.[25]

On March 11, 2017, the Houston Texans signed Griffin to a three-year, $9 million contract that includes $3.22 million guaranteed.[6][26]

He started in the Houston Texans' season-opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars but exited the game in the second quarter after suffering a concussion.[27] On September 24, 2017, Griffin caught a season-high five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown during a 36–33 loss at the New England Patriots in Week 3. On November 5, 2017, Griffin suffered his second concussion of the season during the Texans' 20–14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9.[28] On November 10, 2017, the Houston Texans placed Griffin on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.[29] He finished the 2017 NFL season with 13 receptions for 158 receiving yards and a touchdown in seven games and six starts.[14]

2018 edit

Griffin entered training camp slated as the de facto No. 1 tight end on the depth chart after C. J. Fiedorowicz announced his retirement due to concern over his numerous concussions. Griffin competed to retain his role against rookie Jordan Akins. Head coach Bill O'Brien named Griffin the starting tight end to begin the 2018 NFL season.[30] He played in 14 games with 11 starts, recording 24 receptions for 305 yards.[31]

On May 17, 2019, the Texans released Griffin.[32]

New York Jets edit

2019 edit

On July 22, 2019, Griffin was signed by the New York Jets.[33] In Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Griffin caught four passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns in the 29-15 loss.[34] During Week 11 against the Washington Redskins, Griffin finished with five catches for 109 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Jets won 34-17. The performance marked his first career game with over 100 yards [35] On November 23, Griffin signed a three-year extension with the Jets worth $10.8 million with $4 million guaranteed.[36] On December 12, Griffin was placed on IR after suffering an ankle injury in Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins.[37] Overall, Griffin finished the 2019 season with 34 receptions for 320 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.[38]

2020 edit

Griffin was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list by the Jets at the start of training camp on July 30, 2020.[39] He was activated on August 22, 2020.[40] He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on December 23, 2020,[41] and activated on December 29.[42]

2021 edit

Griffin entered the 2021 season as the Jets starting tight end. He suffered a knee injury in Week 15 and was placed on injured reserve on December 21, 2021.[43] He finished the season with 27 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns through 14 games and 12 starts.

Griffin was released by the Jets on April 4, 2022.[44]

Chicago Bears edit

On April 8, 2022, Griffin was signed by the Chicago Bears[45]

NFL statistics edit

Regular season statistics
Season Receiving Fumbles
Year Team GP GS Rec Yds Avg Long TD FUM Lost
2013 HOU 15 8 19 244 12.8 40 1 0 0
2014 HOU 16 2 10 91 9.1 25 1 0 0
2015 HOU 9 4 20 251 12.6 37 2 0 0
2016 HOU 16 5 50 442 8.8 45 2 1 1
2017 HOU 7 6 13 158 12.2 35 1 0 0
2018 HOU 14 11 24 305 12.7 47 0 0 0
2019 NYJ 13 13 34 320 9.4 45 5 0 0
2020 NYJ 15 6 12 86 9.6 23 0 0 0
2021 NYJ 14 12 27 261 9.7 29 2 1 0
2022 CHI 15 0 4 26 6.5 18 0 0 0
Total 134 67 210 2,184 10.4 47 14 2 1
Postseason statistics
Season Receiving Fumbles
Season Team GP GS Rec Yds Avg Long TD FUM Lost
2015 HOU 1 1 3 29 9.7 15 0 0 0
2016 HOU 2 1 3 29 9.7 13 0 0 0
2018 HOU 1 1 1 6 6.0 6 0 0 0

Legal issues edit

On April 27, 2019, Griffin was arrested at Hotel Indigo in Nashville, Tennessee for public intoxication and vandalism. Griffin was allegedly drunk and punched a window inside his hotel room. He was released from jail on a $1,750 bond the next morning.[46][47] The charges were later dismissed.[48]

References edit

  1. ^ "Ryan Griffin Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Ryan Griffin". NFL.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  4. ^ "2013 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  5. ^ Fuller, Jim (April 27, 2013). "NFL DRAFT: Texans select UConn's Trevardo Williams and Ryan Griffin". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Spotrac.com: Ryan Griffin contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  7. ^ "2013 Texans' Tight End Outlook". stateofthetexans.com. July 13, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  8. ^ "Ourlads.com: Houston Texans Depth Chart: 09/01/2013". Ourlads.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  9. ^ "NFL Game Center: Week 6-2013: St. Louis Rams at Houston Texans". NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  10. ^ Sessler, Marc (October 8, 2013). "Texans' Owen Daniels (fibula) likely out 3 to 6 weeks". NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  11. ^ "NFL Game Center: Week 10-2013: Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals". NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  12. ^ "Concussion Watch: NFL Head Injuries in Week 10". pbs.org. November 12, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  13. ^ "NFL Player stats: Ryan Griffin (2013)". NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d e "NFL Player stats: Ryan Griffin (career)". NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  15. ^ Kollmann, Brett (June 26, 2014). "2014 Fantasy Football: The Value Of Houston Texans Tight Ends". battleredblog.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  16. ^ "2014 Houston Texans 53-Man Roster Set; Roster Cut From 75 To 53". battleredblog.com. August 30, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  17. ^ "NFL Game Center: Week 13-2014: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans". NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  18. ^ "NFL Player stats: Ryan Griffin (2014)". NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  19. ^ "Houston Texans: George Godsey named new offensive coordinator". axs.com. June 9, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  20. ^ "Ourlads.com: Houston Texans Depth Chart: 09/01/2015". Ourlads.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  21. ^ Ganguli, Tania (September 15, 2015). "Texans place TE Ryan Griffin on short-term injured reserve". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  22. ^ "Houston activates TE Ryan Griffin from injured reserve". Fox Sports. November 16, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  23. ^ "Ourlads.com: Houston Texans Depth Chart: 10/01/2016". Ourlads.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  24. ^ "NFL Player stats: Ryan Griffin (2016)". NFL.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  25. ^ Thomas, Jeanna (January 17, 2017). "Texans take 1st step to fix offense by parting ways with OC George Godsey". sbnation.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  26. ^ Alper, Josh (March 11, 2017). "Ryan Griffin signs three-year deal with Texans". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com.
  27. ^ "Good news on injury front for Texans". torotimes.com. September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  28. ^ "Ryan Griffin out with concussion, his second of season". texanswire.usatoday.com. November 5, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  29. ^ "TRANSACTIONS: Texans activate C.J. Fiedorowicz". HoustonTexans.com. November 10, 2017.
  30. ^ "Unofficial Depth Chart: Texans at Patriots". HoustonTexans.com. September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  31. ^ "Ryan Griffin 2018 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  32. ^ Bouda, Nate (May 17, 2019). "Texans Release TE Ryan Griffin". NFL TR.
  33. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (July 22, 2019). "Jets Sign TE Ryan Griffin". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  34. ^ "Jets' Darnold throws 3 more picks in 29-15 loss at Jaguars". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 27, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  35. ^ "Sam Darnold throws 4 TD passes, Jets rout Redskins 34-17". ESPN.com. November 17, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  36. ^ Scott, Jelani (November 23, 2019). "Jets ink TE Ryan Griffin to 3-year, $10.8M extension". NFL.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  37. ^ Cimini, Rich (December 12, 2019). "Jets place tight end Ryan Griffin on IR with ankle injury". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  38. ^ "Ryan Griffin 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  39. ^ Lange, Randy (July 30, 2020). "Four Jets Veterans Placed on to Active Injury Lists". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  40. ^ Aber, Spencer (August 22, 2020). "Jets activate Avery Williamson, Ryan Griffin, Daniel Brown". USAToday.com. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  41. ^ Phillips, Gary (December 23, 2020). "Jets place TE Ryan Griffin on reserve/COVID-19 list". USAToday.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  42. ^ Aber, Spencer (December 30, 2020). "Jets activate TE Ryan Griffin off reserve/COVID-19 list". USAToday.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  43. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (December 21, 2021). "Jets Place TE Ryan Griffin on Injured Reserve, Activate QB Mike White". NewYorkJets.com.
  44. ^ Lange, Randy (April 4, 2022). "Jets Release Veteran Tight End Ryan Griffin". NewYorkJets.com.
  45. ^ "Roster Move: Bears sign TE Ryan Griffin". ChicagoBears.com. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  46. ^ Aaro, David (April 27, 2019). "Ryan Griffin arrested for drunkenly punching out Nashville hotel window during NFL draft". Fox News. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  47. ^ Wilson, Aaron (April 27, 2019). "Ryan Griffin's roster status with Texans precarious after arrest". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  48. ^ Alper, Josh (May 31, 2019). "Ryan Griffin's vandalism, public intoxication charges dismissed". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved July 25, 2019.

External links edit