In his first year in the NFL, Antonio Gates was targeted 42 times and made 24 catches. The following year, 2004, the Chargers’ tight end (this is when the Chargers played in San Diego) began a run of eight consecutive Pro Bowls on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
What changed between his first and second seasons? He got a new quarterback. Philip Rivers joined the Chargers. The same Philip Rivers who may wind up quarterbacking the Indianapolis Colts when they play the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.
Over Gates’ next ten years, all with Rivers as his QB, he was targeted on average seven times per game and made just under five catches. He averaged 60 yards per contest and found the end zone every other game. That’s over 148 games and ten full seasons.
Those Chargers teams had a Hall of Fame running back in LaDanian Tomlinson and excellent receivers like Vincent Jackson and Keenan Allen, but Philip Rivers proved that he absolutely, positively knew how to make use of a great tight end. If he ends up taking the field against Seattle this week, he will have one of the best of the league’s current tight ends in rookie star Tyler Warren.
Seahawks' Nick Emmanwori vs. Colts' Tyler Warren battle could be the highlight of Week 15
Fans watching in Week 15 could get a rare treat. Warren is probably one of four rookies with a legitimate chance at the offensive rookie of the year prize this season. A strong finish could separate him from receivers Tetairoa McMilan and Emeka Egbuka, and from QB Jaxson Dart.
Meanwhile, Seahawks’ rookie safety Nick Emmanwori is flying up oddsmakers’ boards and is now the second choice to Cleveland’s Carson Schwesinger for defensive rookie of the year. Therefore, this Sunday could feature several one-on-one matchups between arguably the two best rookies in the league this year.
Emmanwori will not be lined up in direct coverage against Warren all game long. One of his greatest attributes is his versatility. Seahawks’ coach Mike Macdonald likes to move him around to set up mismatches.
He might be out at corner on one play and lined up as an edge rusher on the next. But most of the time, the rookie from South Carolina will be in the box, and on some of those plays, he will be tasked with guarding Warren.
Warren was generally considered the top tight end prospect in the 2025 draft. However, the Chicago Bears made Colston Loveland the first tight end selected, allowing Warren to fall to the Colts with the 14th pick. Loveland got off to a slow start but has been coming on of late and should be a valuable weapon for the Bears going forward.
Warren, on the other hand, hit the ground running and has barely let up. He can run deep seams or short crosses. He can line up in the backfield and is very dangerous in space. Simple dump-offs in the flat can quickly turn into 25-yard gains once Warren gets going.
Therefore, whoever is covering him -- whether it’s Emmanwori or Julian Love or Ty Okada …. needs to close quickly and make a sure tackle. If not, Warren will make Seattle pay.
Despite his potential OROY season, all of Warren’s significant metric – targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns – trail the numbers put up by Gates over that sensational ten-year period from 2004-2013. Warren is close in all of them, but Gates was slightly better. Because, as mentioned, Philip Rivers knows how to get the most out of a quality tight end.
Indianapolis figures to lean on running back Jonathan Taylor quite a bit come Sunday. Seattle always emphasizes stopping the run, and Macdonald will most likely pay extra attention this week. Consequently, the Colts will have to throw some to keep Seattle’s ferocious defense at bay.
With right tackle Braden Smith in concussion protocol, the Colts' offensive line could be weaker than usual, which doesn’t bode well for a lot of downfield throws. So look for Rivers to target Warren early and often. On a few occasions, he might take a shot down the seam.
Emmanwori has shown spectacular athleticism and versatility this season, but maybe his biggest challenge is direct downfield man coverage against elite receiving weapons. Don’t be surprised if there are not several plays on Sunday in which the Seahawks' star safety is indeed matched up one-on-one against the Colts’ standout tight end on a deep route.
Whoever wins that battle between the two rookies improves their team's odds of coming away with a victory.