A strong finish to his rookie season has everyone believing Green Bay Packers tight end Jace Sternberger will soon be a difference-making player.
Veteran Marcedes Lewis saw incredible growth from the third-round pick over the course of the 2019 season, which started with a pair of freak injuries but ended with Sternberger catching a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Championship Game.
“He’s going to be a good one,” Lewis told Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com. “He’s nasty and you need that to be in this league. I’m proud of him and where he’s at right now.”
Sternberger started slow, no doubt fueled by a concussion suffered during joint practices with the Houston Texans and an ankle injury in the preseason that eventually landed him on injured reserve.
Even after returning in November, Sternberger didn’t catch a pass over 60 offensive snaps played to finish the regular season – although he was open for big plays in back-to-back games in December.
The rookie still fought his way onto the field in a variety of roles and wound up catching three passes and a touchdown over two playoff games.
Lewis specifically mentioned Sternberger’s development on the mental side of the game during his first season. Slowly, confidence built in his ability to handle more and more.
The Packers had him on the field for 39 total snaps during games against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers in the postseason. He played snaps at inline tight end, split out in the slot, at H-back and as a traditional fullback.
In San Francisco, he created a throwing lane for Rodgers by shaking free of linebacker Fred Warner along the back of the end zone. As Rodgers scrambled to his right, Sternberger worked back to his quarterback to create the score – the first of his career.
GM Brian Gutekunst envisions Sternberger being a “matchup problem” at several different positions for the Packers offense.
“The flexibility he gives us. Obviously, he has a lot of speed, he can stretch the seam, he’s a matchup problem for linebackers and safeties. Matt put him in the backfield, moved him around a little bit,” Gutekunst said last Friday. “Jace can be one of those guys, as he develops, he can play a lot of different places and be a matchup problem. Excited for him, excited that he gained a little bit of confidence at the end of the season that will hopefully be a push going into next year.”
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