Anthony Paul Firkser (born February 19, 1995) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Harvard Crimson The Harvard Crimson is the nickname of the college sports teams of Harvard College. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2013, there were 42 Division I intercollegiate Varsity team, varsity sports teams for women and men at Harva ...

and signed with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in 2017. He has played in the NFL for the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

, and

Early life

Firkser was born in

Englishtown, New Jersey Englishtown is a rapidly growing Borough (New Jersey), borough in western Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The community is located within the Raritan River, Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 Uni ...

, to Alex and Donna Firkser. He is Jewish and he and his family belonged to Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan, where he celebrated his

bar mitzvah A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Halakha, Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age ...

. Firkser was a multi-sport athlete at Manalapan High School. In basketball, Firkser played

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

, scoring 21.3 points with 7.6 assists per game. He finished his career second in school history with 1,362 points. In his senior year, the Shore Basketball Coaches named Firkser the Shore Conference Co-Player of the Year. He was also named the Shore Conference ‘A’ North Division Offensive Player of the Year and made the all-state team. He competed at the

2013 Maccabiah Games The 19th Maccabiah () were held during July 18 to 30, 2013. The Games brought together 7,500 competing athletes, making it the third-largest international sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. The Maccabiah he ...

in Israel as a guard for the 18-and-under gold medal-winning Team USA basketball team. On the team, he played alongside Spencer Weisz. Firkser did not begin playing

until his sophomore year in high school. During Firkser's three-year high school career, the Manalapan football team went 30–6 and won three consecutive ‘A’ North Division titles. During one stretch, Manalapan had an 18-game winning streak within the division. After a semifinal visit in the state playoffs his sophomore year, Firkser and his teammates played for the NJSIAA Central Jersey title in his junior and senior years. While at Manalapan, Firkser set career school records in receptions (110), receiving yards (2,118) and

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

receptions (19). After his senior year, he was named All-Shore Offensive Player of the Year as a senior

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

. Firkser also was a two-time All-Shore first-team selection.

College career

Firkser was recruited by

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and four other universities. Citing the university's academic program and the school's willingness to let him play both basketball and football, Firkser committed to play for coach

Tim Murphy Timothy Murphy may refer to: Politics * Tim Murphy (American politician) (born 1952), American Republican Party politician from Pennsylvania * Tim Murphy (Canadian politician) (born 1959), Canadian politician * Timothy J. Murphy (1893–1949), Iri ...

at Harvard on October 17, 2012. Firkser saw his first collegiate action in 2014 as a sophomore. He appeared in 10 games for Harvard and made 32 catches for 485 yards. His four touchdown receptions tied for first on the team and he ranked second on the team in both catches and yards. After the season, Firkser was named to the All-

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...

second-team. Firkser started nine games and caught 22 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 2015 as a junior. For the second consecutive season, he was named to the All-Ivy League second-team. As a senior in 2016, Firkser started all 10 games for Harvard and made 45 receptions for 702 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named to the All-Ivy League first-team. At the end of his collegiate career, Firkser ranked 12th all-time in school history in receptions, ninth all-time in receiving yards, and sixth all-time in touchdown receptions. He graduated from Harvard in 2017 with a degree in

applied mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematics, mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and Industrial sector, industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a ...

. During the 2018 offseason, Firkser participated in actuarial credential exams in hopes of potentially pursuing a post-football career as an

actuary An actuary is a professional with advanced mathematical skills who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require investment management, asset management, ...

College statistics

Professional career

Pre-draft

Coming into the

2017 NFL draft The 2017 NFL draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...

, scouting reports projected Firkser to best fit with a

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) team in a role of a fullback/

hybrid player. Scouts believed Firkser was tough, intelligent, and relatively athletic. Scouts also praised him for his ability to quickly get into pass routes and adjust to errant throws. However, scouts negatively viewed him as possessing just average size and questioned his strength as a blocker. On March 19, 2017, Firkser participated in the Harvard

Pro Day The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...

, an event at which Harvard football players demonstrate their skills to an audience of

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

scouts and coaches. Nearly half of the NFL teams attended this event.

New York Jets (first stint)

Firkser signed with the

as an undrafted

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

on May 5, 2017. He was waived by the Jets on September 2, 2017.

Kansas City Chiefs (first stint)

On November 29, 2017, Firkser was signed to the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

of the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs on January 8, 2018. He was waived on April 30, 2018.

Tennessee Titans

2018 season

On May 14, 2018, Firkser was signed by the

In the preseason, Firkser was second on the team in both receptions (10) and receiving yards (108). On September 1, 2018, he was named to the Titans' initial 53-man roster. He was waived by the Titans on September 17, and was re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on October 8. During Week 6, Firkser caught his first NFL reception in a 21–0 shoutout loss to the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

. During a Week 13 26–22 victory over the Jets, Firkser scored his first NFL career touchdown on a 12-yard reception from

Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footb ...

. Firkser finished the 2018 season with 19 receptions for 225 yards and a touchdown.

2019 season

Firkser began the season as one of four tight ends on the Titans' opening day roster along with veterans Delanie Walker, Jonnu Smith, and MyCole Pruitt. For the first six weeks of the regular season, Firkser played sparingly and was even a healthy inactive in Week 4. During that six-week span, he caught just one pass for 25 yards. After Walker was later placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

, Firkser played a larger role in the Titans offense. During Week 10 against the Chiefs, he caught three receptions for 36 yards and his only touchdown of the regular season as the Titans won by a score of 35–32. Firkser finished the 2019 season with 14 receptions for 204 yards and a touchdown. Ironically, Firkser's first two career touchdowns were against the Jets and Chiefs – the two teams that had previously waived him. The Titans finished the regular season with a 9–7 record and were the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs. Firkser played his first postseason game on January 4, 2020, against the defending

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

champions, the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

. In that game, he caught two passes for 23 yards and a touchdown in the Titans' 20–13 upset road victory in the

Wild Card Round A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is an invitation to a tournament or a playoff berth awarded to a team or individual that does not qualify via an automatic bid. In some events, wildcards ...

. With the touchdown, Firkser became the first player from Harvard to score a touchdown in an NFL postseason game. Firkser's final reception of the season was also the final touchdown of the Titans' 2019 season. He caught a 22-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the

AFC Championship The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the wo ...

in a 35–24 road loss to the Chiefs.

2020 season

On February 13, 2020, Firkser signed a one-year extension with the Titans. During Week 6, Firkser recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game in a 42–36 overtime victory against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

. Firkser finished the game catching eight of nine targets from

Ryan Tannehill Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, playing wide receiver until his junior year, and was selected eighth overall by the Miami Dol ...

for 113 yards, and added a touchdown in the first quarter. Firkser finished the 2020 season with 39 receptions for 387 yards and a touchdown. In the

of the playoffs, he caught two passes for 44 yards in a 20–13 loss to the Ravens.

2021 season

On March 17, 2021, Firkser re-signed with the Titans on a one-year deal. During Week 11 against the Texans, Firkser scored his first touchdown of the season when he recovered a fumble in the end zone. He finished the 22–13 loss with five receptions for 26 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. During a Week 17 34–3 victory over the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

, Firkser caught three passes for 24 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season. In the regular-season finale against the Texans, Firkser had four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown in the 28–25 road victory. Firkser finished the 2021 season with 34 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns.

Atlanta Falcons

On April 12, 2022, Firkser signed a one-year deal with the

. He was released on August 30. He was signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on September 13. In the 2022 season, he appeared in 11 games and started one. He had nine receptions for 100 yards.

New England Patriots

On May 25, 2023, Firkser signed with the Patriots. He was released on August 29, 2023.

Detroit Lions

On October 10, 2023, the

signed Firkser to their practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on December 30. Firkser was released on January 4, 2024 and re-signed to the practice squad, but promoted back on January 13.

New York Jets (second stint)

On July 30, 2024, Firkser signed with the New York Jets. He was released on August 27, and re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on October 19. On October 31, the Jets released him.

Kansas City Chiefs (second stint)

On November 2, 2024, Firkser was signed to the

practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract on February 12, 2025. On May 1, 2025, Firkser was released by the Chiefs.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Personal life

Firkser's older brother, Josh, played football at

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

References

External links

Harvard Crimson bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Firkser, Anthony 1995 births Living people American football tight ends Atlanta Falcons players Harvard Crimson football players Manalapan High School alumni New England Patriots players People from Englishtown, New Jersey Sportspeople from Manalapan Township, New Jersey Players of American football from Monmouth County, New Jersey Tennessee Titans players Jewish American players of American football Competitors at the 2013 Maccabiah Games Maccabiah Games basketball players for the United States Maccabiah Games gold medalists for the United States 21st-century American Jews Detroit Lions players Jews from New Jersey New York Jets players Kansas City Chiefs players