 Sharpe with the Tennessee Titans in 2019 | |||||||||
| No. 19, 11, 4, 83 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1994-12-23)December 23, 1994 (age 30) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Piscataway Township (Piscataway, New Jersey) | ||||||||
| College: | UMass | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2016: 5th round, 140th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Tajaé Lamar Sharpe (born December 23, 1994) is an American former professionalfootballwide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theUMass Minutemen, earning second-teamAll-American honors in 2015. Sharpe was selected by theTennessee Titans in the fifth round of the2016 NFL draft. He has also played for theMinnesota Vikings andAtlanta Falcons.
Sharpe attendedPiscataway Township High School inPiscataway, New Jersey and playedfootball and basketball.[1] He was a two-star recruit byRivals.com and committed to theUniversity of Massachusetts (UMass) to playcollege football.[2][3]
In 2012, Sharpe had 20receptions for 206 yards in 11 games and made eight starts as a freshman at UMass.
Sharpe led the team with 61 receptions for 680 yards and fourtouchdowns in 2013 and 85 receptions for 1,281 yards and seven touchdowns in 2014.[4][5][6][7]
As a senior in 2015, Sharpe broke UMass records for career receptions and receiving yards, finishing the season with 111 receptions for 1,319 yards and five touchdowns.[8][9][10][11]
Sharpe majored in communications.[12][13]
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | Rushing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2012 | UMass | 11 | 20 | 206 | 10.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2013 | UMass | 12 | 61 | 680 | 11.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2014 | UMass | 12 | 85 | 1,281 | 15.1 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 0 |
| 2015 | UMass | 12 | 111 | 1,319 | 11.9 | 5 | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | 0 |
| Career | 47 | 277 | 3,486 | 12.6 | 16 | 4 | 11 | 2.8 | 0 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 8+3⁄8 in (0.21 m) | 4.55 s | 1.55 s | 2.61 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 11 reps | |||
| All values fromNFL Combine[14] | ||||||||||||
Sharpe was selected in the fifth round with the 140th overall pick by theTennessee Titans in the2016 NFL draft.[15]
On May 9, 2016, the Titans signed Sharpe to a four-year, $2.61 million contract with a signing bonus of $274,884.[16][17]
Throughouttraining camp, Sharpe competed withAndre Johnson,Dorial Green-Beckham, andKendall Wright for a starting wide receiver position. He was named one of the starting wide receivers, oppositeRishard Matthews, going into the regular season.
Sharpe made his NFL debut and first NFL start in the season-opener against theMinnesota Vikings. He finished the 25–16 loss with seven receptions for 76 yards.[18] During a Week 10 47–25 victory over theGreen Bay Packers, Sharpe caught three passes for 68 yards and his first NFL touchdown on a 33-yard reception fromMarcus Mariota in the third quarter.[19] In the next game against theIndianapolis Colts, Sharpe had four receptions for 68 yards and a 34-yard touchdown pass as the Titans lost on the road by a score of 24–17.[20] The Titans tripled their win total from the previous year, finishing with a 9–7 record, but did not qualify for the playoffs.[21]
Sharpe finished his rookie season with 41 receptions for 522 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and 10 starts.[22]
On September 2, 2017, Sharpe was placed oninjured reserve with a foot injury, ending his season before it even started.[23] Without Sharpe, the Titans finished with a 9–7 record and qualified for the playoffs.[24][25] However, their season ended after they lost to theNew England Patriots in the Divisional Round.[26]
Sharpe returned from his injury in time for the Titans' season-opening 27–20 road loss to theMiami Dolphins, recording a 17-yard reception.[27] Three weeks later against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Sharpe had three receptions for 27 yards and his first touchdown of the season as the Titans won by a score of 26–23 in overtime.[28] During a narrow Week 7 20–19 loss to theLos Angeles Chargers in London, Sharpe matched his single-game career-high in receptions with seven and also gained a new career-high in receiving yards with 101.[29] During a Week 11 38–10 road loss to the Colts, Sharpe caught five passes for 37 yards and a touchdown.[30]
Sharpe finished the 2018 season with 26 receptions for 316 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and 13 starts.[31] The Titans finished with a third straight 9–7 season and did not qualify for the playoffs.[32]
During a Week 7 23–20 victory over the Chargers, Sharpe had two receptions for 19 yards and his first touchdown of the season on a five-yard pass fromRyan Tannehill.[33] In the next game against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, Sharpe recorded three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown as the Titans won by a score of 27–23.[34] He did not play in Week 13 against the Colts due to a hamstring injury.[35] During a Week 16 38–28 loss against theNew Orleans Saints, Sharpe had five receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns.[36]
Sharpe finished the 2019 season with 25 receptions for 329 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in 15 games and six starts.[37] The Titans finished with a fourth straight 9–7 season, qualifying for the playoffs and advancing to theAFC Championship Game where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champions, theKansas City Chiefs. Sharpe played in all three of the Titans' playoff games, starting in theWild Card Round against the Patriots and recording a six-yard reception during theAFC Championship Game.[38][39][40][41]
On March 25, 2020, Sharpe signed a one-year contract with theMinnesota Vikings.[42] He was waived on December 14, 2020.[43]
On December 22, 2020, the Chiefs signed Sharpe to theirpractice squad.[44] His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on February 16, 2021.[45]
Sharpe re-signed with the Chiefs on April 9, 2021.[46] However, he was waived on May 17, 2021.[47]
On May 24, 2021, Sharpe signed with theAtlanta Falcons.[48] He played in 15 games with seven starts, recording 25 receptions for 230 yards.[49]
On May 12, 2022, Sharpe signed with theChicago Bears.[50] After head coachMatt Eberflus announced that Sharpe would miss the whole 2022 season with a rib injury,[51] he was placed on injured reserve on August 31, 2022.[52] Sharpe was released on September 9, 2022.[53]
TheSan Francisco 49ers hosted Sharpe for a workout on October 31, 2022.[54] He was signed to their practice squad on November 7, 2022.[55] Sharpe was released on November 23, 2022.[56]
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2016 | TEN | 16 | 10 | 41 | 522 | 12.7 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | TEN | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||
| 2018 | TEN | 16 | 13 | 26 | 316 | 12.2 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | TEN | 15 | 6 | 25 | 329 | 13.2 | 47 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | MIN | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | ATL | 15 | 7 | 25 | 230 | 9.2 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 66 | 36 | 117 | 1,397 | 11.9 | 47 | 8 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | TEN | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||
| 2019 | TEN | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Sharpe's grandmother, Cozy Little, is a breast cancer survivor who was initially diagnosed in 2001.[57]
Sharpe also has a rap career, under the nameShow.As of June 6, 2021, Sharpe has released four full-length studio albums;First Quarter, released in 2019,Credentials andDelay of Game, both released in 2020, andOvertime, released in 2021.[citation needed]
On May 10, 2017, Sharpe and teammateSebastian Tretola were named as defendants in a federal civil lawsuit that alleges the teammates were at a Nashville bar watching the2017 NFL draft. Dante R. Satterfield, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, claims he told Sharpe he'd probably lose playing time as a result of the Titans selecting wide receiverCorey Davis in the first round. The report alleges Sharpe responded by challenging him to a fight in a back alley and was accompanied by Tretola as a lookout. Satterfield claims he was knocked unconscious for 12 hours, suffered a concussion, and facial fractures from the incident and is suing for $500,000 in damages.[58][59]
