Getty Evan Engram had some glowing remarks regarding Rhett Ellison
New York Giants tight end Rhett Ellison announced his retirement on Monday after eight NFL seasons. While Ellison’s statistics will never get him a bust in Canton, Ohio, or likely even into Big Blue’s ring of honor, that doesn’t take away from the respect that his gritty, knowledgable play earned throughout his multiple stops in the league.
One notable, now-former teammate of Ellison’s was quick to react to the news, voicing his beloved appreciation for what the tight end did for his career, helping him grow on and off the field.
Evan Engram Speaks Glowingly of Rhett Ellison
There’s no denying that since entering the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick out of USC, Rhett Ellison was always a player with a team-first mentality. Known for his blocking prowess and position flexibility, Ellison was one of the least flashy, yet valuable players amongst any roster he was a part of.
His team-first ways apparently carried over to helping better the likes of his teammates, even if that teammate was someone who would eat into his playing time.
“He’s definitely the best teammate I ever had,” Giants tight end Evan Engram said in a team release following Ellison’s retirement announcement. “Rhett not only helped me with so many things on the field, but helped me off the field, too. I’m going to miss him. He’s definitely going to be a friend of mine for life.”
Engram didn’t stop there, pointing towards Ellison’s football smarts, ability to dissect information, and willingness to grow, as an example for younger players such as himself to learn from.
“He’s like a walking teach tape,” stated Engram. “You can pull up any play that he’s on and that’s exactly how the play is supposed to be done whether it’s a route, whether it’s a certain blocking technique we have to execute. He’s a really good professional, he’s a really good technician. He’s a perfect example to learn from.”
2020 is a Make or Break Year for Engram
Engram will look to take all the knowledge he’s absorbed from observing Ellison these past three years and translate it to on-field production this upcoming season.
While there is no doubting the former first-round pick’s talent, he’s struggled to stuff that stat sheet, mainly due to his inability to stay healthy. Engram has missed 14 games during his three-year career, failing to eclipse 45 receptions or three touchdowns in each of the past two seasons.
Per the New York Post, the Giants will have to make a decision on the tight end’s contract option come May of this year. However, there has been chatter that Engram may not even be a member of the team by then. An inside source close to ESPN’s Matthew Berry informed him that “the Giants don’t believe Evan Engram can ever stay healthy,” believing that the Giants will shop the tight end once the new season kicks off.
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