On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs signed tight end Jody Fortson to their practice squad. The 28-year-old entered the league with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Fortson showed flashes of extreme potential in his first five seasons. Unfortunately, his career has been plagued by injuries and he has yet to play a full NFL season.
Jody Fortson aimed for a fresh start when he signed with the Miami Dolphins this past off-season. However, he was cut at the end of training camp. Now three weeks into the regular season, Fortson returns for his second stint with the Chiefs and another shot at redemption.
Chiefs Bring Back Tight End Jody Fortson to Practice Squad
Can Chiefs Tight End Overcome His Injury History?
Jody Fortson stirred up much excitement in Kansas City when he first signed with the Chiefs. He made several big plays in the preseason, showing signs of superstar potential. Still, the Chiefs didn’t have room for many tight ends with Travis Kelce in his prime. Fortson spent his first two seasons on the Chiefs practice squad but was finally signed to the active roster in 2021.
Fortson started the 2021 season strong, catching two touchdowns in the first 6 games. An Achilles injury derailed this momentum and placed him on injured reserve. He would then be placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list later in the year. This prevented Fortson from playing in any other games that season.
Returning much healthier the following season, Fortson played 13 games for the Chiefs in 2022. But just as the young Chiefs tight end started to find his role with the team, the injury bug bit once again. Fortson injured his elbow in Week 15 and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Despite being healthy for most of the year, he could not play in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jody Fortson’s 2023 season ended before it even started. The Chiefs’ tight end had recovered from his elbow injury but dislocated his shoulder early in the preseason. He was unable to play at all for the rest of the year.
What Does Fortson Signing Mean For Chiefs?
The Jody Fortson reunion in Kansas City could be for several reasons. Are there plans for Fortson to eventually join the active roster? Do the Chiefs still believe in the tight end’s potential? Maybe they are just doing right by a player who came up in their organization.
Of course, many will speculate that Fortson’s arrival is due to Travis Kelce’s early-season struggles. The Chiefs’ superstar tight end has recorded just 8 receptions for 69 yards through the first 3 weeks. Kelce is still contributing in other ways, but his absence in the passing game is becoming a concern.
The Chiefs have three-year veteran Noah Gray and fourth-round rookie Jared Wiley as the other tight ends on the roster. Gray has made some plays for Patrick Mahomes early on, but Wiley has yet to play an NFL snap. The Chiefs may be bringing in Fortson to bolster the tight end room in the wake of Kelce’s recent struggles.
The Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers next in a Week 4 divisional matchup. Fortson won’t play in that game since he just arrived on Thursday. However, things could be different soon if Kelce continues to struggle and the other Chiefs tight ends can’t step up their play.
Main Photo: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
