During Friday night’s preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons, former Texas tight end Gunnar Helm was a force. He was a magnet when the ball was thrown his way, catching all 4 of his first-half targets for 48 yards. And he looked every bit the kind of player he was during his breakout 2024 season with the Longhorns.
In the final minute of the first half, Helm rose up over 2 Falcons defenders to bring in a dot from Tennessee backup quarterback Brandon Allen and score his first NFL touchdown. Sitting at his locker after the game, reporters asked Helm if he planned to hang onto the football as a memento and he immediately grabbed it from his belongings.
“I was gonna wait until the one that counted, but I’m glad they found it,” Helm said. “I’m gonna keep this one for sure.”
Don’t tell these guys preseason doesn’t count.
For the fourth-round draft pick, Friday night’s performance was a showcase of everything he hopes to be for the Tennessee Titans.
“I like to think of myself as a complete tight end that can make plays like that and then obviously make my plays in the run game,” Helm said.
In his preseason debut last week, Helm was limited to 1 catch for 16 yards on 2 targets in a more limited role. But his coach was pleased all the same with what he showed in other phases of the game. Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan said after Friday night’s game that Helm turned in his second strong performance in a row.
The Titans have one more preseason game remaining — against Minnesota on Friday, Aug. 22 — before turning their attention to the regular-season opener. Helm will make his official NFL debut against Denver on the road on Sept. 7.
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Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
