The Kansas City Chiefs had a pleasant surprise to start off OTAs.
Jody Fortson, who had suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 6 last season, was back on the practice field working with his teammates for the first time since his injury. Andy Reid had previously mentioned there was a chance they’d get Fortson back for Phase 3 of the offseason program. Thursday’s practice session showed exactly that.
Asked about how excited he was to see him back out there, fellow tight end Travis Kelce raved about his teammate. Kelce praised him for his worth ethic and also mentioned a brand-new facet of his game.
“Jody F, man. 8-8, man. He’s one of the hardest workers I know,” Kelce said of Fortson. “He’s relentless with it, (with) his want and knowledge for the game, to always try and get better. And then on top of that, to pass it on to guys that haven’t had the reps. You can see that in him, being a leader.”
Fortson has been working hard to get back on the field and back to form. The 6-6 and 240-pound tight end, appeared in six games last season, catching five receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns. He was just beginning to emerge as a consistent playmaker for Patrick Mahomes when his injury occurred.
Kelce’s comments suggest that Fortson isn’t just working to get back to that role as a playmaker, but has also adopted a new role as a veteran mentor for players like Matt Bushman, Jordan Franks and Mark Vital, who are just getting accustomed to the offense. He also seems to have a role as an energy-giver for other players within the offense.
“It’s fun watching him get back out there and have some more fun,” Kelce said. “Because, when he’s flying around out there, there is a lot of energy on the field.”
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