Breaking down the terms of new Dolphins TE Jody Fortson’s contract

Contract details for new Dolphins TE Jody Fortson.

With the Miami Dolphins struggling to get production from the tight end position in 2023, general manager Chris Grier added two in free agency, including Jody Fortson.

Fortson, 28, joined the Dolphins on a one-year deal worth $1.23 million after spending the last five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and winning three Super Bowls.

According to Over the Cap, Fortson will receive a $1 million base salary ($400,000 guaranteed). The contract includes a $25,000 signing bonus and $200,000 in per-game roster bonuses. His cap hit for the 2024 season is $1.03 million.

If Miami were to release Fortson before the season begins, the team would save $600,000 while incurring a dead-cap hit of $425,000.

Durham Smythe was really the only tight end who did much of anything last year, so if Fortson stays healthy, he has as good of a chance as anyone to compete for opportunities this year.

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Best photos of new Dolphins TE Jody Fortson

Best photos of new Dolphins TE Jody Fortson.

The Miami Dolphins, after a season where they didn’t get a lot from the tight end position, needed to add multiple pieces to the group this offseason, and one of the tight ends that they’ve opted to sign is Jody Fortson.

Fortson lands in South Florida on a one-year deal after playing wide receiver collegiately at Valdosta State before being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019, transitioning to a new position and spending five seasons with the team.

As Dolphins fans familiarize themselves with the team’s newest tight end, we’ve put together a gallery of photos from his time in Kansas City.

Take a look:

Dolphins TE Jody Fortson praised Travis Kelce as a mentor

#Dolphins TE Jody Fortson heaped praise on Travis Kelce for his role as a mentor during his time with the #Chiefs.

The legacy of Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce will eventually see him debated as the greatest tight end of all time. He has impacted the Chiefs with more than just his field production; he has also impacted them with his locker-room leadership.

A member of the Chiefs locker room in recent years was tight end Jody Fortson, who emerged as a trusted red zone option when healthy. Fortson signed with the Miami Dolphins at the start of free agency last week and addressed the local media, sharing his admiration for former teammate Travis Kelce.

“Travis Kelce is my favorite teammate of all time. On any level, Pop Warner, High School, or College, Travis is my favorite teammate,” said Fortson. “Not only because he took his time trying to teach me the role of being the tight end, but because of how a great person is he didn’t even have to. “

Fortson signed with Miami after five seasons in Kansas City, spending time between the active roster practice squad and significant time on injured reserve, missing the entire 2023 season.

“He just showed unconditional love and knowledge for the game,” Fortson explained. “Being in a room and Kelce, it probably not even probably it sent me four light years of where I would have been had I not had him, arguably having the greatest of all-time in that room, being able to learn and see how he’s attacking different routes and why he views coverage like this and why he sees well, how he’s able to find the holes and other stuff like you’re not able to get that unless you’re with somebody that knows that.”

Kelce takes great pride in being a team leader and was praised by players and coaches for his motivating speech during Super Bowl LVIII.

“So, being in a room with Kelce these last few years has been an extraordinary blessing to my game,” Fortson said. “Taking patience from the game like I used to be rushing my routes and stuff, but like, even going to Kelce’s house and like, ‘hey, man, you can slow it down’.

“Like every route doesn’t have to be 100 miles an hour, you can kind of play with the tempo. You can maneuver it a little bit like there’s a lot of different nuances of the game that I learned from him.”

Fortson signed last week and will have a chance to compete for more playing time in 2024 with the Dolphins.

Andy Reid reveals plans for Chiefs’ preseason opener vs. Saints

Andy Reid told reporters which #Chiefs won’t be competing in Kansas City’s preseason opener against the #Saints on Sunday.

Tomorrow the Kansas City Chiefs will travel to play in a football game for the first time since winning Super Bowl LVII. The long days of practice in training camp developing new schemes will have its first dress rehearsal against the New Orleans Saints.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has monitored his team’s progress over the past two weeks and he will keep a close eye on the young players who are looking to make an impression. The expectations are high for several players to elevate their roles due to off-season moves and availability. Reid revealed to reporters following Friday’s practice his expectations for Sunday’s preseason opener and identified which players aren’t expected to suit up.

According to reports, Reid has announced that all four Chiefs quarterbacks will see the field on Sunday, and the first team will play at least the first quarter.

Several Chiefs are dealing with injuries and will not play during the exhibition matchup, including running back Isiah Pacheco, defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, tight end Jody Fortson, wide receiver Kadarius Toney, and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.

The Chiefs went undefeated in last year’s preseason before eventually becoming Super Bowl champions. Previous season’s rookies saw plenty of action in preseason exhibition games, and if Reid continues to follow that formula, it should be a valuable time for this year’s class as well.

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Andy Reid broke down all Chiefs injuries in August 7 press conference

Andy Reid told reporters about all of the #Chiefs’ injuries during Kansas City’s post-practice press conference on Monday.

The Kansas City Chiefs need all hands on deck for their championship defense campaign in 2023, and with several contributors injured ahead of their preseason kickoff on Sunday, all eyes will be on their inactive list this week.

Andy Reid offered reporters an update on the Chiefs’ injuries after practice on Monday, noting the progression of four key players who are at different parts of their recovery processes.

Said Reid: “As far as injuries go, Jody Fortson, L’Jarius Sneed – and his [injury] is better it’s getting there the inflammation we’re working with, and then KT [Kadarius Toney]. Everyone else practiced it was good to get some of the guys that were banged up a little bit out there. Turk [Tershawn Wharton] continues to progress with reps. A little nine-on-seven, so on teams, good to get him in there.”

Though his comment was ambiguous in regard to Fortson’s status, Reid seemed optimistic that Sneed was progressing well. Toney is expected to be out until the start of the regular season and is one of the great unknowns of Kansas City’s 2023 offense at this juncture.

His mention of Wharton’s development was a positive sign for the Chiefs’ defense, which is still without Chris Jones in their front four for the foreseeable future.

Andy Reid broke down Chiefs injuries after Wednesday’s practice

Andy Reid told the media about all developments on the #Chiefs’ injury report during his post-practice press conference on Wednesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs are already facing their fair share of attrition due to injuries as training camp’s second week wears on. Head coach Andy Reid updated reporters about all of the team’s latest injuries after Wednesday’s practice session, noting that one key player on the Chiefs’ defense was out of commission during Kansas City’s workouts.

“As far as the injuries go L’Jarius Sneed, we held him out. He’s got – his knee is sore, a little bit of inflammation in it; we’re just going to keep that calmed down as we go.” Reid told the media. “Townsend, Tommy has a sprained ankle, but you saw him out here. It’s not too bad. Michael Danna with the calf strain still getting better. Jody [Fortson], you know about that. Nazeeh [Johnson], again, you know that one. Isaiah Moore and Kadarius [Toney] all those you’re aware of.”

Sneed’s inclusion in the injury report from Reid is of particular concern due to the outsized role he plays in the Chiefs’ defense, though the veteran head coach did his best to downplay the seriousness of the cornerback’s ailment. Tommy Townsend’s limited participation is a good sign after he left Kansas City’s workouts early on Monday.

All in all, it seems that the injured Chiefs are progressing well as they strive to get back on the practice field at Missouri Western State University before Kansas City’s first preseason game next week.

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Andy Reid breaks news on Chiefs injuries after Sunday practice

Andy Reid broke down all of the #Chiefs’ injuries during his post-practice press conference on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs have seen several key players go down due to injury at their training camp practices in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Andy Reid has been keeping reporters abreast of any updates regarding their status during his post-practice press conferences.

In his opening statement on Sunday, Reid laid out all of the Chiefs’ current injuries, which included one player who will be out for the remainder of Kansas City’s 2023 season.

Said Reid: “We’ve got really the same people that were injured Clyde [Edwards-Helaire] was sick, so we kept him out. Nazeeh [Johnson] tore his ACL which you know, [Mike] Danna calf, [Jody] Fortson shoulder, Isaiah Moore he’s going to need surgery. And then KT [Kadarius Toney] is making progress.

“That’s really it, nothing happened today. Good work today it’s the longest practice, so today was a two-hour and 25-minute practice, guys pounded through it they did a good job of competing and finishing strong. Back and forth which is good, offense and defense. Special teams got good work in today.”

Nazeeh Johnson’s loss was a disappointing development after Saturday’s practice, and Kansas City will have to rely on one of their young defenders to step up in his absence moving forward.

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Andy Reid: Three Chiefs injured at Friday practice

Three members of the #Chiefs’ 2022 53-man roster went down with injury during Kansas City’s first practice in pads.

The Kansas City Chiefs conducted their first practice in pads on Friday, and a few key players got banged up as the team ran contract drills at Missouri Western State University.

Head coach Andy Reid updated reporters with all the new developments relative to players who may miss time with injury in his comments after the Chiefs’ workouts.

“[Drue] Tranquill strained his neck, [Jody] Fortson hurt his shoulder, we’re going to check it out here, then [Mike] Danna strained his calf,” Reid said. “But, all in all, it was good work today, guys challenged themselves. A little shorter practice, an hour 40-minute practice. The guys worked it, was good to get them back in pads and working to challenge each other.”

The loss of Tranquill, Fortson, and Danna will certainly affect how both sides of the ball function during Kansas City’s coming workouts if they miss time, but with 89 players on their roster, the Chiefs will give looks to up-and-coming prospects in their absence.

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WATCH: TE Jody Fortson grabs pass from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in St. Joseph

Tight end Jody Fortson caught a deep pass from Patrick Mahomes at the #Chiefs’ practice session on Wednesday.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Jody Fortson became one of Patrick Mahomes’ top red zone targets last season before being placed on the injured reserve list in December.

The two-time Super Bowl champion has become a fan favorite behind Travis Kelce on the Chiefs’ depth chart and made a big play at Wednesday’s training camp practice session that excited all those in attendance in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Kansas City Sports Network posted a video to Twitter of Fortson’s catch on a pass from Mahomes, which is a good sign that he is fully recovered from any injuries he sustained during the Chiefs’ 2022 campaign.

Fortson’s return could prove to be a boon for Kansas City’s offense, especially if he is able to return to form ahead of the 2023 regular season kickoff. Watch for Forton to get more targets from Mahomes as he works his way back to full strength in St. Joseph.

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Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, Jody Fortson name NBA stars who would make best tight ends in NFL

#Chiefs TEs Travis Kelce and Jody Fortson imagined a pair of NBA stars as NFL tight ends.

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The NFL’s social media team asked tight ends at the third annual Tight End University summit to name athletes from another sport who make the best tight end in the NFL. 

A pair of Kansas City Chiefs players, Travis Kelce and Jody Fortson, had an opportunity to provide their takes.

Fortson’s answer came up first, which was two-time NBA MVP and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. At 7 feet and 249 pounds, he’d certainly fit the mold of an NFL tight end and would probably excel as a red zone target given his size.

Kelce’s answer echoed all of the rest.

“You’ve got to throw LeBron James in there,” Kelce said. “He fits the mold.”

Practically everyone went with LeBron James and it isn’t all that surprising. Heck, we even explored the idea of James coming to play for the Chiefs when he was an NBA free agent back in 2018. Back in the day, James said he could run a 4.6-second 40-yard dash at 6-8 and 250 pounds.

There was also a time when James was offered contracts to play in the NFL by Jerry Jones and Pete Carroll during the 161-day NBA lockout back in 2011.

What do you think, Chiefs Kingdom? Which athlete from another sport would make the best NFL tight end? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.

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