Bug Howard

Johnathan "Bug" Howard (born November 28, 1994) is an American football tight end for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina.

Early years
Howard, who was given the nickname "Bug" by his grandmother when he was a toddler, attended Wilcox County High School in Rochelle, Georgia.

College career
Howard caught 22 passes in his freshman season at North Carolina. Howard scored the first touchdown of the 2015 college football season, his junior year, when he caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Marquise Williams in their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

In his four-year career at UNC, Howard played in 46 games. He caught 146 passes for 2,048 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. He had just four dropped passes in four seasons at UNC.

Indianapolis Colts
After going undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft, Howard was signed as a free agent by the Indianapolis Colts. He was waived by the Colts at the end of the 2017 preseason.

Cleveland Browns
On September 26, 2017, Howard was signed to the Cleveland Browns' practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Browns on January 1, 2018. He was waived by the Browns on April 12, 2018.

Carolina Panthers
On May 14, 2018, Howard signed with the Carolina Panthers. He was waived on August 31, 2018, as part of final roster cuts.

Atlanta Legends
On November 9, 2018, Howard signed with the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) for the 2019 season.

Denver Broncos
After the AAF ceased operations in April 2019, Howard signed with the Denver Broncos on May 13, 2019, following a mini-camp tryout.