Denver Broncos' FB Michael Burton, WR Jerry Jeudy and TE Lucas Krull - Parker Seibold/The Gazette
The fullback has been part of the NFL since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. For much of the 1990s, offenses generally ran with the quarterback under center, and the fullback lined up in the middle behind the quarterback and in front of the running back. Tight ends have also been part of the NFL, but they’ve evolved into more athletic versions of wide receivers.
Why is the Fullback falling behind the Tight Ends as lead blockers?
Over time, the NFL left the fullback position behind because offenses started spreading defenses out and mixing in tempo and a faster pace. This era, known as “Basketball on Grass,” lasted from about 2011 to 2022. Then, in 2023, the league went back to its roots by having the quarterback go under center, and all of a sudden, the run game came back.
Using 2 to 3 Tight Ends in heavy personnel sets meant no spot for the fullback
For the past three seasons, NFL offenses have looked for a way to marry the run and the pass to throw defenses off balance. Offensive Coordinators decided to resurrect 12 to 13 personnel groupings in heavy sets. 12 personnel consists of one running back in the backfield and two tight ends on either side.
Meanwhile, 13 personnel consists of one running back in the backfield and three tight ends on one side in a condensed formation. Some of these personnel groupings can contain an extra tight end lining up as a traditional fullback or as a modern-day H-back to the side of either offensive tackle spot.
In this case, the fullback isn’t needed, which opens the offense to throw to more pass-catchers while still instigating the run game first.
Will the traditional fullback ever go away in NFL?
Absolutely not. Just like in life, the fullback will never go away, as the league runs in trends and cycles. In fact, teams like the Dallas Cowboys still have Hunter Luepke on their roster as a fullback. But the reason why other teams would rather forgo the fullback for keeping more tight ends is to save salary cap space, or use 2 to 3 tight ends with one lining up as an H-back for blocking,
Plus, the modern-day tight ends have more responsibilities now than they did about 30 years ago. They have to catch the ball in slant patterns, as a wide receiver does, and block to give the offensive line more big bodies in the run game.
Can teams still use a traditional fullback even though the trend leans more toward keeping extra tight ends?
Yes, they can. The league’s shift toward extra tight ends is reflected in how the Buffalo Bills selected their fifth-round pick, Jackson Hawes. He excelled as the Bills’ throwback blocking tight end and as an underrated pass-catcher. Because of Hawes’ success, you saw a round of throwback blocking tight ends go early, as more teams want to copy the Bills and add extra tight ends to forgo a traditional fullback.
Overall, it’s nice to see traditional trends returning to the NFL, even with a 17-game schedule and a soon-to-be 18-game season with more international games coming the league’s way. The fullback and the extra tight ends are no exception.
