Dalton Keene Bio
Dalton Keene is an American professional football tight end who has spent time with several National Football League franchises since entering the league in 2020. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies of the Atlantic Coast Conference before being selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Since then, Keene has had stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Denver Broncos, and the Houston Texans, working to establish himself as a versatile and dependable contributor at the tight end position.
Known for his willingness to do the unglamorous work in both the run and passing games, Dalton Keene has built his reputation on toughness, route reliability, and special teams play. He has faced significant adversity during his career, particularly in the form of knee injuries, but he has continued to return to the field. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 260 pounds in his playing days, Keene has the prototypical frame for an in-line tight end in the modern NFL.
Early Life and Background
Dalton Keene was born on April 14, 1999, in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Littleton, Colorado. He attended Chatfield High School, where he emerged as a multi-sport athlete with a clear passion for football. At Chatfield, he lined up at middle linebacker and running back on the gridiron, demonstrating the physicality and versatility that would later define his professional career. He also competed on the school’s track and field team, an experience that helped him develop the speed and conditioning needed for the next level.
As a senior at Chatfield High School, Dalton Keene put together a dominant season on the ground, rushing for 1,175 yards and 18 touchdowns. His performance earned him first-team All-State honors and helped solidify his status as a college prospect. Although he was recruited primarily as an athlete, his production as a runner and his physicality on defense caught the attention of multiple college programs, eventually leading him to commit to Virginia Tech. He ultimately left Colorado to continue his football journey in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Path to American Football
After his decorated high school career at Chatfield, Dalton Keene made the transition from high school standout to college contributor at Virginia Tech. The coaching staff there converted him into a tight end, a position that took advantage of his size, hands, and football intelligence. He wasted little time adjusting to the college game, stepping onto the field as a true freshman and immediately earning a starting role. That early opportunity gave him a foundation of experience that few players at his position enjoy.
By the end of his college career, Dalton Keene had developed into a reliable pass catcher and blocker, finishing with 59 receptions for 748 yards and eight touchdowns across 39 games played for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He earned honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition as a sophomore, when he recorded 28 receptions for 341 yards and three touchdowns, and he added 21 catches for 240 yards and five scores as a junior. Following that junior season, he made the decision to forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2020 NFL Draft, confident in his readiness to compete at the professional level.
Dalton Keene Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Dalton Keene’s professional journey began when the New England Patriots selected him with the 101st overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Patriots traded two fourth-round picks in the 2020 draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft to the New York Jets to move up and secure Keene, marking the first time in Bill Belichick’s 20 years as Patriots head coach that the team had included a future draft pick in a deal to move up in a draft. The selection reflected the organization’s belief that Keene could grow into a multi-phase contributor on offense and special teams.
Keene made his NFL debut in Week 7 of the 2020 season, recording one catch for eight yards, but his rookie year was soon interrupted by a knee injury that sent him to injured reserve in November 2020. He was activated in December and returned to finish the season, yet the injury bug returned the following year. On August 7, 2021, the Patriots placed him on injured reserve with another knee issue, keeping him off the field for an extended stretch. On August 21, 2022, New England waived him, ending his time in Foxborough after two seasons in which injuries had limited his ability to establish a consistent role.
Philadelphia Eagles Breakthrough (2022–2023)
After being let go by the Patriots, Dalton Keene signed with the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad on September 6, 2022, as he looked to reset his career. His first stint in Philadelphia was short, as the Eagles released him on October 4 of that year. He briefly joined the Denver Broncos practice squad on October 15, 2022, but was released three days later, and was re-signed to the Broncos practice squad on December 27, 2022. That practice squad deal with Denver expired on January 8, 2023, leaving Keene searching for another opportunity heading into the new league year.
Keene’s persistence paid off on January 20, 2023, when he signed a reserve/future contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. That second stint gave him a chance to compete for a roster spot under a new regime, but he was ultimately waived on July 26. Despite the release, the two stints with Philadelphia gave Keene valuable experience in two different offensive systems and reinforced his value as a depth tight end and special teams player heading into the next chapter of his career.
Houston Texans Era (2023–2025)
Dalton Keene found a longer-term home on August 1, 2023, when he signed with the Houston Texans, though he was waived just under a month later on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Texans on January 22, 2024, signaling that the organization viewed him as a developmental piece. The 2024 offseason brought another setback, however, as Keene was placed on injured reserve on August 21 with a torn ACL, a major injury that kept him away from the field for an extended period.
Keene re-signed with the Texans on August 5, 2025, but was released on August 22 after suffering an undisclosed injury that led to an injured reserve placement. The Texans brought him back to the practice squad on October 29, 2025, before releasing him again on November 5, 2025. Through all of those moves, Keene has remained a familiar presence in the Texans’ building, valued for his veteran know-how and his willingness to battle through injuries to support the team.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although tight ends are not drivers in the traditional sense, Dalton Keene has earned a reputation for his blue-collar playing style. He is regarded as a reliable in-line blocker who can also work the middle of the field as a pass catcher. Coaches have valued his football intelligence, his willingness to contribute on special teams, and his ability to align in multiple positions within a tight end-heavy scheme. His combination of size, toughness, and developmental upside has allowed him to remain on NFL rosters even when injuries have disrupted his momentum.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most notable moments of Dalton Keene’s career came on draft night in 2020, when the New England Patriots traded up to select him 101st overall, a move that was historic in that it was the first time Bill Belichick had used a future draft pick to trade up in two decades as head coach. He also reached the milestone of catching his first NFL pass in Week 7 of the 2020 season, and he has continued to add to his professional resume by signing reserve/future contracts with multiple franchises, a sign that teams continue to see long-term potential in his game.
Dalton Keene Career Wins
As a tight end, Dalton Keene’s statistical resume is built more on blocking, reliability, and special teams than on prolific receiving numbers. Across his time with the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, and Houston Texans, he has appeared in regular season action during his early Patriots seasons and contributed in practice and reserve roles with his later teams. His career totals include a small number of receptions and receiving yards, with his most notable statistical contribution coming during his 2020 rookie campaign.
Professional Highlights
Dalton Keene’s first NFL catch came in Week 7 of the 2020 season, when he recorded one reception for eight yards while playing for the New England Patriots. He finished his Virginia Tech career with 59 receptions for 748 yards and eight touchdowns in 39 games, capped by a strong junior season in which he caught 21 passes for 240 yards and five scores before declaring for the draft. At the high school level, his senior campaign at Chatfield produced 1,175 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, earning him first-team All-State recognition.
Other Performances
Beyond his receiving work, Dalton Keene has contributed in less visible ways, including stints on multiple practice squads with the Eagles, Broncos, and Texans. He has signed reserve/future contracts with the Eagles and Texans, an indicator that coaching staffs have viewed him as a worthwhile long-term project. He has also battled back from significant knee injuries, including a torn ACL in 2024, to remain in consideration for an active roster spot.
Dalton Keene Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Dalton Keene’s family background is limited, and he has generally kept his personal and family life out of the spotlight. He grew up in Littleton, Colorado, after being born in St. Louis, Missouri, and his athletic development at Chatfield High School suggests a family environment that supported his involvement in multiple sports, including football and track and field. Detailed information about his parents and any extended family is not widely available in verified sources.
Personal Life
Dalton Keene is known to have built his adult life around football, with his professional base shifting alongside his NFL stops. He has continued to be associated with the Littleton, Colorado, area that he considers home, even as his playing career has taken him from coast to coast. There is no widely verified public information about a spouse or children at this stage of his career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has been a turbulent one for Dalton Keene, defined more by perseverance than by statistical production. He re-signed with the Houston Texans on August 5, 2025, in hopes of earning a role in the team’s tight end room, but was released on August 22 after suffering an undisclosed injury that resulted in an injured reserve placement. The Texans brought him back to the practice squad on October 29, 2025, only to release him again on November 5, 2025, underscoring the fragile nature of his position on the roster.
Despite the constant movement between the active roster, injured reserve, and the practice squad, Keene’s continued involvement with the Texans shows that the organization values his experience, blocking ability, and locker room presence. His 2025 campaign has highlighted both his resilience in the face of injuries and the increasingly competitive nature of tight end depth charts in the modern NFL.
Looking ahead, Dalton Keene’s priority will be to get fully healthy and re-establish himself as a reliable contributor, whether that is in Houston or with another NFL franchise. With a 2020 draft pedigree and a track record of competing through adversity, he remains a candidate to latch on with a team in need of tight end depth as the season progresses.