If you like to evaluate players through the lens of box scores, Cade Otton has had an extremely disappointing 2025 season. From 2023-2024, since he became a starter, Otton has averaged 3.4 receptions and 34.0 yards per game. He also averaged a touchdown every four games. It was modest, but steady production.

In the third quarter of last season, Otton hit another level out of pure team necessity. From week 7 to week 11 last year, Otton averaged 7.5 receptions, 73.25 yards and 0.75 touchdowns per game. That led to hope that Otton was in line for a breakout season in 2025.

But this year, all of those numbers are down.

Way down.

After his three-catch, nine-yard performance against the Eagles, he is now averaging 1.5 catches and 8.5 yards per game. This has led to a narrative that Otton has somehow declined. But that’s far from the truth.

Cade Otton’s Role Has Changed

There are three stages of Otton’s career so far. The first was his rookie year. That year he operated in Byron Leftwich’s offense that asked him to play more vertical. That year, 27% of his routes were of a deep nature, primarily digs and seams. 22% of his targets were 10 air yards or deeper. Those seam routes were particularly effective, as he averaged over 26 yards per catch and 0.49 EPA per target.

But Otton’s role in the offense changed in 2023 and 2024 as new offensive coordinators Dave Canales and Liam Coen implemented more horizontal passing attacks. Last year was particularly different, as Otton’s average depth of target hit a career low of 5.8 yards. The intermediate part of the field was the area that saw the biggest drop off as he was targeted just 10.5% of the time in that area of the field. Those dig and seam routes fell to 20% of his route distribution while flats, short outs and curl/hitches spiked to 45% of his total routes run.

Bucs TE Cade Otton – Photo by: USA Today

The trend has continued to an almost absurd level in 2025. Those shorter routes that comprised the majority of his routes the past two years are now 55% of his routes this year. He’s run only five seam routes and six digs all season. He’s been targeted beyond 10 yards just twice all season.

This isn’t an indictment on new Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. Far from it. With the well-documented woes of the offensive line Grizzard has asked Otton to pitch in with pass protection. He’s chipping more than he ever did in previous years. And when he’s not disrupting the timing of edge defenders to give his tackles some help, he is just adding more to the blocking scheme.

Bucs TE Cade Otton – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Grizzard has admitted as much when asked about the dip in production from Otton and the rest of the tight end room.

“Cade and those guys [are] being selfless and being able to be in that alignment to try to help out on some of the protections where he’s not necessarily getting out into a route, or if it is a route, it’s not something that’s vertical down the field,” Grizzard said. “So, that’s really where that’s coming from.

“We do intend to try to keep getting him the ball when we can on those kind of things, but what he’s been able to do – what those guys have done – by taking the team first and being able to say this is what’s needed, at least at this current time, to get some of this stuff off…He never complains about it. I hope to get him the ball moving forward.”

Like this doesn’t hit w/o 88 sticking to Hunt through the end of the rep. https://t.co/f8juSCFoDH pic.twitter.com/p0JOoh8Cyr

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 3, 2025

Cade Otton Is Still Find Ways To Get Open

Starting with chips and checks has not only put an almost literal ceiling on the depth of routes Cade Otton can run, but it has also buried him in the progression for quarterback Baker Mayfield. And despite Otton’s efforts to slow the pass rush to give Mayfield more time, the Bucs signal caller is still having to get rid of the ball much faster. In his previous years in Tampa Bay, Mayfield threw the ball in under 2.5 seconds about 45% of the time according to Next Gen Stats. This year, that number has spiked to 55%.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and TE Cade Otton – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

Having to make faster decisions means Mayfield has less opportunity to get to Otton who is often the second, third, or fourth read. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t getting open. His average separation when targeted is at the highest of his career at 3.8 yards. And his catch rate on catchable balls is just one catch off of his career rate. And when you look at the tape, you find it littered with him open and just not getting targeted.

Mayfield has talked about some missed opportunities for Otton and the rest of the tight ends, specifically noting the Falcons game in week one when he was asked earlier in the season about it.

“I mean [we had] a few missed ones to Cade [Otton] to be honest with you, or else he would have had a couple of catches,” Mayfield said after the team’s last game. “But yeah, the tight end’s role is one that’s not always the most pretty one – they do a lot of dirty work, but when they get their opportunities, try and take advantage of it.

“I always try and let the defense dictate where the ball needs to go. When I was talking to you guys after the game, they had had some of the shorter throws, intermediate stuff early on in the game…There were options there to get it to them. So, they’ll make plays for us.”

Finding Some Easy Buckets

The Seahawks are a very good defense, but one area where they have a vulnerability is defending screen passes. They are 25th in the NFL, giving up +0.21 EPA/play. Cade Otton was a part of a dangerous screen attack last year. This is one area Grizzard can tap into this week, especially because it will play well off the chip and block assignments Otton is being asked to execute so much this year.

Another possible way to get him involved is on third down by going back to one of the Bucs’ most successful money down concepts from 2024.

Turns out they decided to go to Otton underneath from these bunch looks on 3rd down. I like it. https://t.co/oje0M6fLmL pic.twitter.com/VWuY2IMlhi

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 28, 2024

The choice under two verts was tailor made for Chris Godwin Jr., but by using Otton and Godwin in the same bunch along with Emeka Egbuka, the other two are nearly guaranteed to draw the heaviest of the coverage, leaving Otton to run the choice and get going.

Playing Well Despite The Box Score

Now that we have established that the lens through which Cade Otton’s success can be defined, we can look at his performance with more clarity. And Otton is doing well within that context. He has been helping in pass protection at a high level. An example was the play action shot to Emeka Egbuka above. And his run blocking continues to improve after he hit a new level last year.

If you say he’s playing poorly ty I will find you. And I will fight you. pic.twitter.com/jBHtL58rTt

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 4, 2025

The tight end position in general can be one that is difficult to evaluate because of the segmentation of their roles and the responsibilities they carry out on a game-to-game basis. While Otton is not putting up huge receiving numbers, he is contributing to the offense in a way the Bucs need right now.

A straight up Ko Kieft-like finish. pic.twitter.com/eJ7ZyD2CnU

— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) October 4, 2025