A converted Stanford wide receiver who found his NFL niche as a big-bodied tight end behind Trey McBride in Arizona.
Elijah Higgins is a tight end for the Arizona Cardinals whose size and skill set prompted a position switch from receiver to tight end once he reached the pros. He has settled in as a reliable complementary target in Arizona's offense.
Path to the league
Higgins played wide receiver at Stanford before NFL evaluators projected him as a tight end given his frame. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round (197th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft, but was waived and claimed by the Cardinals on August 30, 2023.
Career highlights
Higgins made the position switch work at the pro level, developing into a functional in-line and receiving tight end for Arizona. Over his first two NFL seasons, he appeared in 28 games with nine starts, catching 34 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns.
2025 season recap
Higgins continued in his familiar role as Arizona's No. 2 tight end behind Trey McBride during the 2025 season, providing depth and situational receiving and blocking snaps in the Cardinals' offense.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Elijah Higgins
- ESPN: Elijah Higgins
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
17 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | cardinals | 17 | 30 | 301 | 10.0 | 0 | 27 |
| 2024 | cardinals | 17 | 20 | 172 | 8.6 | 2 | 23 |
| 2023 | cardinals | 11 | 14 | 163 | 11.6 | 1 | 26 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- Stanford
- Hometown
- Austin, TX, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
