There aren’t many fullbacks left in the NFL.
Over the last couple of decades, as the passing game has taken over, the number of fullbacks in the wild has dwindled as the need for lead blockers has dropped. They’re now on the NFL’s endangered list.
“Yeah, the last of the dying breed,” Khari Blasingame said. “We all watch each other and are excited for each other when we make plays.”
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Blasingame, whom the Eagles signed to their practice squad on Tuesday, feels a sense of pride about being a fullback in 2024. And because there are so few of them left in the league, there’s definitely a fullback community in the NFL.
Blasingame, 28, began his NFL career with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and in Minnesota, he got to know fullback C.J. Ham; the two are still in contact. He also worked out with Dolphins’ fullback Alec Ingold during the pre-draft process and is proud to see the role Ingold has carved out in Miami. He also talks to Buffalo’s Reggie Gilliam and former Falcons’ fullback Keith Smith.
“All of them are really cool,” Blasingame said, “and we all tap in and communicate with each other.”
During his rookie season in 2019, Blasingame was signed to the Titans’ active roster and ended up spending the better part of three years back in Tennessee, where he went to college at Vanderbilt. After that, Blasingame joined the Bears in 2022 and was there until earlier this season when he got released. In all, Blasingame has played in 66 NFL games with 21 starts.
NFL
But when he found himself out of work this fall, he didn’t stress about it. Instead, he crammed in as much time with his family as he could at his home outside Atlanta and patiently waited for a call.
That call came from the Eagles this past weekend.
Linebacker Ben VanSumeren had been filling in at fullback this season for the Eagles. He had played just 22 offensive snaps but that package has been effective. So when VanSumeren suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Friday, the Eagles didn’t want to throw away the whole fullback package.
“I think what it's done is give another layer for the defense to have to pay attention to,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “I'm not going to get into the scheme of it, why it's been helpful for us, but one of the benefits is the layer that it gives the defense to have to defend, and have to spend time on, and have to study. It’s been pretty productive for us this year. I haven't been on a team that we've utilized the fullback in quite some time.
“Sometimes you go into it and you're like, do we need a fullback? And you say, ‘eh.’ Then you get into it, and you start doing it, and you're like, ‘Man, OK, this has been a good benefit for us.’ And you build on that.
“So the confidence that you get because things are being successful, you look to put a little bit more in. That's how we are with players. That's how we are with plays. That's how we are with personnel groupings. Oh, this is good. Let's add a little bit more. Oh, let's add a little bit more, let’s add a little bit more. So, yeah, we're excited about that. We'll continue to use it as we need to.”
As a member of the practice squad, Blasingame would have to either be elevated (each players gets three elevations) or signed to the 53-man roster before being eligible to play on game days. And first, the Eagles will probably want him to learn the playbook. But his presence alone signals that the fullback experiment has been a positive one. It's just another wrinkle in a dynamic rushing attack.
The Eagles hadn’t had a fullback on their roster since Doug Pederson’s first year as head coach back in 2016 and they hadn’t had an official one under Sirianni until Tuesday.
“I know they had Ben doing it,” Blasingame said. “He was doing really well at it. He was physical and energetic. And because of that, they were growing that package. Just excited to come in. I’m in the tight end room so I’m learning with Grant (Calcaterra) and C.J. (Uzomah) and all these guys. I’m just excited to get in there and help.”
While most fullbacks are seen as smash-mouth lead blockers, Blasingame touts his versatility. He sees himself as an athlete, who can also punish defenders running downhill.
Early in his career at Vanderbilt, Blasingame was actually a linebacker. And it’s not a coincidence that he and VanSumeren have been able to make the transition. Blasingame said the two positions are very similar.
“It’s definitely a mentality,” he said. “You have to have a certain mentality to do it.”
Blasingame is one of a few left who do.
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