Zack Kuntz

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Dolphins landed a reasonable depth piece at tight end with Zack Kuntz's $1.0M AAV deal, earning a C- CVI that reflects modest value for a developmental player. While Kuntz's production tier remains unestablished at the NFL level, Miami is making a calculated bet on the former Virginia linebacker-turned-tight end who brings intriguing athletic tools but limited proven output. At just 25 years old, there's still upside in his positional transition, and the low-risk financial commitment ($1.9M total) provides flexibility if he doesn't pan out. The contract structure protects Miami from significant dead money while giving Kuntz a legitimate opportunity to carve out a role in their offense. This represents solid roster management — not a game-changing acquisition, but the type of low-cost flyer that can occasionally yield unexpected dividends in a tight end room that needed depth.

Performance Analysis

Zack Kuntz is, by any honest measure, a replacement-level tight end right now — a D- performance grade reflects a player who has not yet translated his remarkable physical gifts into meaningful NFL production. His stat line through three games tells the story bluntly: 15 receiving yards and one tackle, a line that qualifies more as a footnote than a contribution. The absence of any real receiving volume is the defining weakness here, and for a tight end, if you are not moving the chains or creating mismatches in the passing game, your roster viability depends almost entirely on special teams and blocking utility. At 26 years old and in his third season since being drafted in the seventh round with the 220th pick in 2023, Kuntz is squarely at the moment where a player either forces his way onto a roster or fades into the futures-contract cycle indefinitely — and his current production argues more for the latter. The media framing around this move is appropriately tempered: this is a low-risk camp addition for Miami, a chance for the Dolphins to evaluate whether Kuntz's legendary Combine athleticism can finally be weaponized in an actual offense, not a legitimate depth upgrade. Miami signed Ben Sins at tight end during this same offseason window, which signals the front office is casting a wide net rather than betting on Kuntz specifically. With the regular season still 133 days out, there is a theoretical runway here, but the honest assessment is that Kuntz is a long shot to crack the 53-man roster without a dramatic leap in his functional production.

Fan Sentiment

A futures contract depth add with minimal immediate roster impact for Miami. Headlines note Kuntz's freakish Combine athleticism but acknowledge he's unproven at the NFL level. The strongest signal here is 'futures contract' — a low-risk, low-reward camp invite essentially. Fans are amused by the division rival angle, stealing a Jets castoff for essentially nothing. Kuntz is a long shot to make the 53-man roster but his athleticism gives him a puncher's chance.