# Zach Miller (tight end, born 1984)
**Zach Miller** (Zachary Scott Miller; born 1984 in Wahoo, Nebraska) is a former [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) tight end who played in the NFL from 2009 to 2017 with the [Jacksonville Jaguars](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacksonville-jaguars) and the [Chicago Bears](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bears), finishing his career with 146 receptions for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm) He is a different player from the tight end Zach Miller born 1985 in Tempe, Arizona, who played for Oakland and Seattle from 2007 to 2014.[2](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa01.htm)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984, Wahoo, Nebraska; Bishop Neumann High School[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm) |
| Physical | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm), 245 lb (111 kg)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm) |
| College | Redshirted at Nebraska in 2003; played at Nebraska-Omaha from 2004 to 2008[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) |
| Draft | Jacksonville Jaguars, 6th round (180th overall), 2009 NFL Draft[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm) |
| Teams | Jacksonville 2009-2011; Tampa Bay (offseason 2013); Chicago 2014-2017[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) |
| Career totals | 66 games, 33 starts, 146 receptions, 1,631 yards (11.2 per catch), 15 touchdowns[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm) |
| Catch rate | 78.5% over 205 targets; 90 career points on 15 touchdowns[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) |
| Last activity | Re-signed by Chicago in June 2018, placed on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform the next day, released with a failed physical on April 25, 2019[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) |
## Early life and college
Miller is from Wahoo, Nebraska, where he attended Bishop Neumann High School.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm) He began his college career at the University of Nebraska, redshirting in 2003, before transferring to the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he played from 2004 through 2008.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html)
## Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2011
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Miller in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, 180th overall, and signed him on June 29, 2009.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm) • [3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) As a rookie he appeared in 14 games without a start, catching 21 of 27 targets for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns, a 77.8 percent catch rate.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html)
In 2010 he played 15 games with 5 starts and caught 20 passes for 216 yards and 1 touchdown.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) His 2011 season lasted only 4 games before he was placed on injured reserve on October 18, 2011; the Jaguars kept him on injured reserve through 2012 and released him on October 16, 2012.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html)
## Chicago Bears, 2014-2017
Miller signed with [Tampa Bay](https://www.edgepedia.org/tampa-bay) on January 4, 2013, but was released in the final preseason cutdown on August 27, 2013, without playing a regular-season game for the Buccaneers.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) The Bears signed him on December 30, 2013, and he spent the 2014 season on injured reserve after an August 15, 2014 placement.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html)
**The 2015 season** was his most productive. Playing 15 games with 14 starts, he caught 34 passes for 439 yards and 5 touchdowns, with a long reception of 87 yards on a touchdown.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) According to the Bears' 2017 media guide, all 5 of those touchdowns came in the last 8 games in which he appeared, and his 87-yard reception against St. Louis stood as the second longest ever by a Bears tight end.[4](https://www.huddle.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-6-CHI.pdf)
In 2016 he appeared in 10 games with 8 starts before going on injured reserve on November 23, recording 47 receptions for 486 yards (10.3 average) and 4 touchdowns.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) • [4](https://www.huddle.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-6-CHI.pdf) That season included his third career multi-touchdown game, at Dallas on September 25, and he finished tied for first on the team in receiving touchdowns and third in receiving yards.[4](https://www.huddle.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-6-CHI.pdf)
His final season, 2017, produced 20 catches for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns in 8 games with 6 starts before an injured-reserve placement on November 7, 2017.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) He became an unrestricted free agent on March 14, 2018.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html)
## Final attempt and career summary
The Bears re-signed Miller on June 4, 2018, but placed him on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list the following day, and released him on April 25, 2019, with a failed physical, ending his professional career without another appearance.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html)
Across six active seasons he played 66 games with 33 starts, catching 146 of 205 targets (78.5 percent) for 1,631 yards, an 11.2-yard average, and 15 touchdowns, with his longest reception an 87-yard score.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm) • [3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) His scoring totaled 90 points, and he also handled kickoff returns early in his career, returning 3 kickoffs for 41 yards.[3](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html) Pro-Football-[Reference](https://www.edgepedia.org/reference) lists his career Approximate Value at 13.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm)
## References
1. [Zach Miller Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa02.htm)
2. [Zach Miller (born 1985) Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillZa01.htm)
3. [Zach Miller Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro Football Archives](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/m/mill16110.html)
4. [Chicago Bears Biographies, 2017 media guide (Zach Miller entry)](https://www.huddle.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-6-CHI.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Tight ends › Former NFL tight ends*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license