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Seven NFL Linebackers Who Could Have Played Offense

by Jeremy Block - 6/19/2025

NFL linebackers who could have played offense Micah Parsons

There’s a certain type of linebacker who doesn’t just hit—they detonate. But every now and then, you watch a few players who chase down a running back in open space, or snag a one-handed interception, and you think, “Man, this guy could’ve been a tight end.” Or maybe a fullback, or some kind of absolute menace at wide receiver in goal-line sets. 

So yeah, defense paid the bills, but don’t act like these guys couldn’t have put up numbers on offense too. If a few position coaches had squinted differently at a scouting report, we might’ve seen some of the most explosive players in NFL history catching touchdowns, trucking DBs, or stiff-arming their way into the endzone. Having said that, here are seven linebackers who could’ve played offense, and crushed it.

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Ray Lewis

It’s not hard to imagine Ray Lewis as a tight end who got flagged every other week for taunting after a first down. Lewis had the perfect size, speed, and attitude to make defenders regret their career choices. You don’t rack up 31 career interceptions, and over 2,000 tackles by accident. 

Combine that with the lateral quickness and a blocking-first mentality, and you’ve got a player who would’ve been a perfect fit as a goal-line tight end or some kind of hybrid fullback with a mean first step. Just think about: Imagine Ray Lewis clearing out linebackers for a running back, and then getting up and lecturing the opposing player he just annihilated.

Brian Urlacher

There is no way that you didn’t watch Brian Urlacher and think “If he played offense, he would have been unstoppable”. Urlacher was a freak with the size of a defensive end and the speed of a tight end, which made him basically a glitch in the Bears' defense for over a decade. Watching him drop into coverage, chase down running backs, and wreck plays like it was a side hobby made it obvious: he easily could’ve played offense if someone had handed him a playbook.

It’s simple math: Urlacher had the hands, the hops, and the athleticism to make the switch to offense. Standing 6’4”, 258 lbs, and running a 4.6 40-yard dash, he would’ve been a walking mismatch. And if Urlacher actually played the other side of the ball, you better believe some poor soul would’ve had to tackle him after a catch, and no amount of health insurance could prepare them.

Demarcus Ware

Some guys are just built different—and then there’s DeMarcus Ware, who looked like an action figure somebody accidentally brought to life. He wasn’t just a pass rusher, he was a pure athlete with the kind of explosion that makes offensive linemen question if they want to go to work. If a coach had ever wanted to convert him into an offensive player, you’d have had a tight end with Avengers-level power and breakaway speed.

Ware clocked a 38.5-inch vertical, ran a 4.56 40-yard dash, and had hands like bear traps. It’s not even a stretch to imagine him boxing out safeties in the red zone or stiff-arming corners into another ZIP code after a short catch. This is the kind of athlete who doesn’t need much to work with. Honestly, it feels messed up that he didn’t even get a few snaps on offense.

Terrell Suggs

Have you ever seen a bear sprint? That’s what Terrell Suggs looked like chasing quarterbacks. Now, picture that kind of raw speed and strength aimed at defenders instead of delivering the punishment. Suggs as a red zone tight end or fullback would’ve been borderline unfair.

Suggs racked up 139 career sacks, and he did it by bullying offensive linemen and chasing down plays like he was late to a Friday night bar fight. Adding to that, Suggs managed to notch seven interceptions, which is still more than some DBs who had longer careers. Look, like him or not, Terrell Suggs clearly had the instincts, the hands, and the kill-switch mindset to turn short-yardage situations into points on offense.

Micah Parsons

Some players just look like they were designed in a football lab, and Micah Parsons is that kind of problem. Parsons' career may have been pretty short (only three seasons) but he moved like a slot receiver, hit like a sledgehammer, and had the kind of first-step explosiveness that could have dusted defenders. 

Parsons ran a 4.66 40-yard dash at 246 pounds, which isn’t exactly “linebacker speed,” it’s “someone-missed-their-position” speed. Give him a few tight end routes or just put him in motion on the goaline and watch defenders go into witness protection. Offensively, you wouldn’t even need to draw up plays, just give him the ball and get out of the way.

Luke Kuechly

There was something tactical about the way Luke Kuechly played the game of football. It was almost as if he was breaking down the play before the offense even snapped the ball. He didn’t just read plays, he anticipated them, like a psychic. And while most linebackers looked like they were reacting, Kuechly always seemed like he was waiting for the quarterback to catch up to his plan.

Physically, he had the tools to play offense—but mentally, he might’ve been even more dangerous there. With 1,092 career tackles, 18 interceptions, and 66 passes defended in just seven seasons, he was already out-performing most receivers at the time. Listen, there was a reason why they called him ‘Captain America’. With everything Keuchly brought to the table as a football player, there’s no way you can’t see him bulldozing through defenders as a tight end for 20+ yards after making a catch. 

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