A Cincinnati native and son of former Bengals tight end Eric Kattus who became one of the SEC's top run-blocking tight ends before signing with his hometown team.
Josh Kattus played four seasons at Kentucky, building a reputation as a physical in-line blocker before expanding his role as a senior. He went undrafted in 2026 and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, following his father Eric Kattus, who played tight end for the Bengals from 1986 to 1991.
Path to the league
Kattus, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end from Cincinnati, Ohio, played in 44 games across four seasons at Kentucky. He declared for the draft in January 2026, went unselected, and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent, joining the same franchise his father Eric Kattus played for in the late 1980s.
Career highlights
Kattus was an immediate run-blocking contributor as a freshman at Kentucky and developed into one of the SEC's better in-line blockers, grading as the second-highest run blocker among 37 SEC tight ends with at least 100 run-blocking snaps in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. He caught only 21 passes across his first three seasons before his role expanded as a senior.
2025 season recap
In his final season at Kentucky, Kattus took a career-high 174 snaps as a receiver, catching 17 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns while remaining one of the conference's premier run-blocking tight ends. That well-rounded senior season, combined with his family ties to Cincinnati, made him a notable undrafted signing for the Bengals.
Sources
- A to Z Sports: Bengals Player Profile - Josh Kattus is keeping the family name alive in the tight end room
- A to Z Sports: Bengals are signing an undrafted free agent with a familiar name
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- Kentucky
- Hometown
- Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
