Frank Reich On Jack Doyle’s Extension: ‘There’s Not A More Deserving Person’

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Reich said he considers Doyle to be “one of the better tight ends in the league,” and there’s a multitude of reasons to back up that claim.


As a pass catcher, few tight ends, if any, have been as reliable as Doyle since he entered the league; his 75.6 catch percentage since 2013 is the highest among any tight ends in the NFL with at least 200 receptions, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. That means when you throw the ball Doyle’s way, he’ll figure out a way to catch it.


But Reich said the aspect of Doyle’s game that really sets him apart as a tight end is his ability to block. Case in point: through 12 games this season, Doyle ranks fourth in the NFL among qualified tight ends in Pro Football Focus’ pass blocking grades, and he’s constantly counted on to open up holes along the perimeter in the Colts’ run game, which heads into Sunday’s Week 14 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked fourth in the league at 139 rushing yards per game.


“I’ll tell you, one of the things that makes a player great is the little subtle things that you do,” Reich said. “It’s the little subtle things in route running, it’s the subtle things in blocking, (like) when you’re in a combination block, just being able to communicate with the tackle in the right way to get the right fit on a combination block, and the right timing — those things? You can’t measure those things. But he does them all right, and it seems like he does them perfect so many times.”


The final piece of the puzzle when it comes to Doyle is his leadership, both on and off the field.


More of a lead-by-example personality on the field and in the locker room, Doyle — the Colts’ 2018 Ed Block Courage Award recipient — is constantly working in the community, whether it’s through the Jack and Casie Doyle Tuition Assistance Grant at Cathedral High School, which provides half scholarships to two incoming freshmen, or it’s his support of homeless youth from Dayspring Center in Indianapolis.


Put all those factors together, and it’s no wonder why the Colts are so excited to know they’ll have No. 84 back for another few years.


“Maybe the thing that I think about Jack the most is he’s not only a great player himself, but he literally has his unique ways where he makes everybody better around him,” Reich said. “And he just stands for everything we’re about, and wanna be about. He’s got great leadership — every aspect of his leadership is exemplary. And then on top of that he’s a great player.


“I mean, the guy’s incredible.”