John Carlson

John Carlson

40-Year-Old Tight EndTE
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for John Carlson in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a two-year, $3.2 million contract with the Cardinals in March of 2014.
John Carlson: Announces Retirement
TEArizona Cardinals
May 5, 2015
Carlson announced his retirement Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
ANALYSIS
The 30-year-old Carlson has a history of concussions -- namely five between his collegiate and professional career, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com -- and he never lived up to the promise of his first two seasons. He averaged a 53-600-6 receiving line with the Seahawks in his first two years, but he has since failed to top 350 receiving yards in any one season. With the former second-round draft pick out of the picture, Arizona's shaky depth chart at tight end looks all the more questionable. Troy Niklas, a 2014 second-rounder, is the favorite to start despite catching just three passes in seven games as a rookie. While athletic for his size (6-foot-6, 270 pounds), Niklas doesn't profile as a high-volume receiver in the NFL. That isn't necessarily an issue, as the Cardinals have plenty of capable pass-catchers at wide receiver and running back. For tight ends, the team also has former basketball player Darren Fells, along with 2015 seventh-round selection Gerald Christian. Expect Niklas and Fells to compete for the starting job.
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where John Carlson lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2024 John Carlson Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do John Carlson's measurables compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 5"
 
Weight
248 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.88 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.28 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.12 sec
 
Vertical Jump
30.5 in
 
Broad Jump
113 in
 
Bench Press
20 reps
 
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Carlson announced his retirement from football on May 5, leaving after one season with the Cardinals. With the seven-year veteran out of the picture, the team will instead count on 2014 second-round pick Troy Niklas and former professional basketball player Darren Fells to man tight end this season.
After two years in Minnesota where he caught just one touchdown pass, Carlson comes to Arizona this season looking to have a bigger impact. The Cardinals also has Rob Housler, who is similar to Carlson, and neither is dominant. Carlson could nudge aside the incumbent Housler with a strong training camp. More likely, though, the duo will share targets in the Cardinals' base offense, which boasts two-tight end sets. Even if he earns a surplus of looks, he probably won't see more than the 57 targets that Housler had last year, accounting for just 10.7 percent of the team's targets. Carlson, who as rookie in 2008 set a franchise receiving record with the Seahawks, is athletic, runs tight routes, and at 6-5, makes for a good red-zone target (28 his first two years in Seattle). On the other hand, he dealt with multiple concussions last year before he was finally shut down in December.
Carlson is likely to serve as the No. 2 TE behind Kyle Rudolph, which leaves him with little to no fantasy value in the Vikings' run-first offense.
The Vikings will likely utilize frequent two-tight end sets with both Carlson and Kyle Rudolph on the field after Carlson was signed as a free agent in the offseason. It's not clear if either tight end will emerge as the primary target and the two may split the targets that normally go to tight ends. However, with a murky wide receiver situation after Percy Harvin, it's possible the Vikings may significantly increase passes thrown to tight ends.
This time last year, Matt Hasselbeck was touting Carlson as a fantasy sleeper. But the Seahawks virtually ignored him last season after he previously played an important role in the Seattle passing attack. His eight red-zone targets were a far cry from the 14 he received the previous season. And his 58 targets were far off his 82-target career pace. In fact, in eight games last season, Carlson had no more than one reception and failed to catch a pass in two games. Carlson is a good athlete who runs crisp routes and can be an asset in the passing game. He likely won't figure any better into the offensive gameplan this season, though. The Seahawks, who have a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterback, signed Zach Miller to be the starting tight end. If that leaves Carlson anywhere but out in the cold it will be a surprise.
Carlson came within four receptions and 53 yards of his standout rookie campaign last year and actually scored two more touchdowns, but he didn't have the same fantasy impact last season as he did in 2008. Carlson was largely a victim of circumstance last season -- Seattle's offense was awful, and it all but ignored the tight end for weeks at a time. Nearly half (49.1 percent) of Carlson's 574 yards came in four games. He averaged more than seven targets per game in the first eight games, but then disappeared. In seven of his last eight games, Carlson totaled 11 receptions on 18 targets. He found a bit of fantasy redemption in the last four weeks, though, scoring a touchdown in each game. But by then it was too late for fantasy owners. As if all that didn't make Carlson enough of a question mark heading into this season, the Seahawks have a new regime in place under former USC coach Pete Carroll. If Matt Hasselbeck's Tweets are to be believed, Carlson will be used in the slot this season after the Seahawks signed Chris Baker as their blocking tight end. Hasselbeck called Carlson "this year's fantasy sleeper." Perhaps, but this remains one of the many unresolved issues for the Seahawks offense.
Carlson set single-season franchise records for receptions (55) and yards (627) by a tight end. He also scored five touchdowns off of 14 red-zone targets. This was truly a feat, given that starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck missed nine games. This year, Hasselbeck, Deion Branch and Nate Burleson should be healthy, and newcomer T.J. Houshmandzadeh will help open up the passing game for the Seahawks. While this means more mouths to feed overall, Hasselbeck guided former Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens to a career-year in Seattle a few seasons ago, so he does look for the tight end. Look for the Carlson to build on the 80 targets (11th for tight ends) he received during his rookie campaign, now that he has a healthier, more potent offense. Just keep in mind that Houshmandzadeh could cut into his red-zone looks.
The Seahawks like to use their tight ends, but they didn't get much out of last year’s starter Marcus Pollard, who had just 35 targets and 28 receptions. With Pollard gone, 2008 second-round pick John Carlson will battle incumbent Will Heller and free-agent Jeb Putzier for the starting spot. Carlson, whose 100 receptions rank second in Notre Dame history among tight ends, has the most upside, and the Seahawks likely didn't draft him to be a backup. Whoever wins the starting job could see a decent amount of work. Seattle targeted its tight ends 15 times in the red zone last season.
More Fantasy News
TEArizona Cardinals
December 30, 2014
Carlson played just 18 offensive snaps during Sunday's defeat at San Francisco, Football Outsiders reports.
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TEArizona Cardinals
Calf
December 28, 2014
Carlson (calf) is active for Sunday's game at San Francisco, the Cardinals' official site reports.
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TEArizona Cardinals
Calf
December 26, 2014
Carlson (calf) is questionable for Sunday's game against San Francisco.
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TEArizona Cardinals
Calf
December 25, 2014
Carlson (calf) was limited in practice Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
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TEArizona Cardinals
Calf
December 24, 2014
Carlson (calf) didn't practice Wednesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
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