Forget playing in a game. Chris Manhertz defied the odds by stepping into an NFL building to compete for a spot on a 90-man roster. He was a collegiate basketball at Canisius who didn’t know anything about football.

Now, he enters Year 12. The tight end is still a wanted man.

He’s got high hopes for these 2026 New York Giants, too.

Loved welcoming Manhertz back on the Go Long Pod for this conversation. He first shared his origin story with us in March 2021 and, well, the Bronx native is still going strong.

This league chews up and spits talented players each summer.

How in the hell has Manhertz been bashing away as a blocking tight end this long? His day-to-day approach is quite instructive.

Topics on the pod include…

* How my Real Football co-host Jim Monos and ex-Bills GM Doug Whaley discovered Manhertz.

* He wasn’t a high-flier on the basketball court. This wasn’t Sean Payton plucking Jimmy Graham off the Miami Hurricanes basketball court. Manhertz was more like Anthony Mason, and that ruggedness proved to be a perfect fit at tight end.

* One block vs. Mario Williams in a 2015 Bills practice planted a seed of confidence.

* Resurgence of the Blocking Tight End. Contenders across the league deploy two- and three-TE sets. Both Jacksonville and Chicago drafted tight ends earlier than expected. Manhertz keeps on getting contracts. Why?

* How does Manhertz keep pumping oxygen into his career? What is his secret sauce? A ton goes into his 5-days-a-week training regiment. (And now, he’s got three kids.)

* He attended the New York Knicks’ wild Game 4 comeback win at MSG and relives all pandemonium.

* John Harbaugh’s vision has Manhertz thinking big. All coaches preach about the significance of “situational football.” It’s different with the ex-Ravens coach.

* Why making the playoffs is a realistic goal this 2026 season.

* His thoughts on quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Full video and audio is above. You can also access this episode on our Apple, Spotify and YouTube channels.

I’ll also post a written transcription of our chat for those who prefer words.

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