Injuries open the door for Fant to see steady volume on Thursday Night Football.
The Bengals’ tight end room is running thin, and that could make Noah Fant one of the most important players on the field Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Mike Gesicki placed on injured reserve because of a pectoral injury and Tanner Hudson still in concussion protocol, Fant is now Cincinnati’s clear lead option at tight end. That alone makes him a strong candidate to beat his “over” props for receptions and receiving yards in Thursday Night Football.
Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Wednesday that Gesicki will miss several weeks and that Hudson has not cleared concussion testing. That leaves Fant as the lone receiving threat among the Bengals’ tight ends, with Drew Sample handling blocking duties and Cam Grandy limited to special teams and reserve snaps.
The timing couldn’t be better for Joe Flacco, who’s stepping into a system that leans on short, controlled passing. Flacco has history with Fant — they shared a locker room in Denver in 2019, when Flacco started eight games during Fant’s rookie season. That early chemistry could pay off again this week, especially with limited practice time on a short week.
Flacco has also shown throughout his career that he trusts tight ends. During his brief run in Cleveland in 2023, he targeted David Njoku 56 times over six games — an average of more than nine per contest. It’s a trend that fits his style: when pressure comes, Flacco often finds his tight end as the safest outlet.
Fant fits that mold. At 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds, he’s athletic enough to separate against linebackers and sturdy enough to hold up after contact. His production has been efficient when called upon — catching more than 80 percent of his targets and averaging over nine yards per look this season. That efficiency, paired with an expanded role, makes him one of the most logical beneficiaries of Cincinnati’s injury situation.
The Steelers’ defense presents another reason to be optimistic. Pittsburgh has allowed tight ends to average over 50 receiving yards per game this season, ranking in the league’s bottom half in that category. Their defensive front pressures quarterbacks effectively but often leaves seams open over the middle, an area Fant thrives in.
For bettors, Fant’s props have hovered around 3.5 receptions and 30–35 yards across major sportsbooks. Given the circumstances — depleted depth, Flacco’s tight end tendencies, and the likelihood of a pass-heavy game script — those lines look conservative.
If the Bengals fall behind, Fant’s target share should climb even more. Flacco isn’t a quarterback who hunts deep shots all night; he works methodically, and that rhythm tends to favor his tight ends.
Noah Fant won’t need a massive game to clear his overs. With opportunity, familiarity, and a favorable matchup, he’s positioned to deliver steady, reliable production when the Bengals need it most on Thursday night.
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