Tag: Jody Fortson

Chiefs HC Andy Reid expects WR Kadarius Toney will play in Week 9

New #Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney is expected to make his debut against the #Titans in Week 9. Plus updates on CB Trent McDuffie and TE Jody Fortson.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid expects WR Kadarius Toney to make his debut against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9 on “Sunday Night Football.”

Toney has only been in town for a little over a week after being traded to Kansas City. Speaking to reporters following practice on Friday, Reid was asked whether Toney would be active for the Week 9 game.

“I think so, yeah,” Reid said. “Right now, I’d tell you yes.”

Unless something transpires between now and kickoff, it’s a safe bet that Toney will get a chance to get on the field and play in some capacity. Where exactly will he get his opportunities, though? Reid is playing that all by ear.

“Yeah, you know what, he’s done a good job,” Reid said on Toney’s practice week. “I appreciate his effort. He’s a fast learner. We’ll see. We’ve got a couple of things in for him. Let’s just see what happens.”

Another play who could see some action in Week 9, but in this case in return from injury, is Trent McDuffie. Asked how he looked in practice and whether he’d play, Reid suggested McDuffie would be back.

“Yeah, he looked good,” Reid said of McDuffie. “Right now, that’s what we’re thinking.”

In fact, Reid only ruled a single player out for the Week 9 game on Sunday night.

“Really the only person who didn’t practice today was Jody Fortson,” Reid said. “And he’ll be listed as out.”

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Wednesday practice

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided injury updates on Jody Fortson, Lucas Niang, Blake Bell, Trent McDuffie and Kadarius Toney ahead of Wednesday’s practice.

The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the building preparing to face the Tennessee Titans on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 9.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided his pre-practice injury update on Wednesday, providing some good news as players hit the field for practice. He started, however, with the lone player expected to miss practice to start the week.

“As far as the injuries go, Jody Fortson is really the only one that isn’t going to practice today,” Reid said. “He’s got a quad contusion.”

It’s unclear whether Fortson’s injury occurred back in Week 7 or during the bye week. It doesn’t appear to be serious.

As for the good news, the Chiefs will welcome back a player from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Wednesday. According to Reid, the Chiefs have opened the 21-day practice window for OT Lucas Niang. Trent McDuffie and Kadarius Toney will also be among the players practicing.

“Then the people that are coming back here, (Trent) McDuffie will be back, (Lucas) Niang will be back,” Reid said. “Then we added Kadarius (Toney). He’s healthy. He’ll practice.”

Niang suffered a torn patellar tendon in Week 17 last year and began the season on the Reserve/PUP list. Reid emphasized that Niang has worked really hard to get back onto the field, but cautioned that they’ll have to see how he does before making the decision to activate him. Reid also updated media members on the status of TE Blake Bell, who suffered a hip flexor injury during the preseason.

“Blake (Bell) is close, he’s close,” Reid said. “We’ll see how he does here over the next week or two and see where we’re at. (Lucas) Niang worked hard and he’s back in. We’ll just see how he does right now. These guys who come back after these long stints off, you want to see how they do on the field.”

Finally, Reid was asked how close Trent McDuffie was to playing Week 7. He explained how they handle bringing players back from reserve lists in a little more detail.

“We try to keep open communication with these guys and see what they’re feeling,” Reid said. “Their coaches know them. See what the coach sees and how the player feels and obviously the medical staff and trainers. When it was all said and done, we just said, ‘You know what, he needs a little bit more time.’ He’s been great communication-wise with us. We know he wants to play.”

It’s important to keep that in mind for Niang as he begins his 21-day practice window and for Bell when he eventually makes his return.

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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce thinks Noah Gray, Jody Fortson are vital to winning games

Travis Kelce spoke about the #Chiefs’ tight end room: “As long as we’re scoring touchdowns as a group every single game, I think we’re gonna keep winning football games.”

The Kansas City Chiefs have seen a shift in their offensive playbook since the departure of Tyreek Hill. A greater variety in target options has left opposing defenses guessing after four weeks.

Travis Kelce continues to be a favorite of Patrick Mahomes in the passing game, but lately, he’s spread the wealth to other tight ends. Noah Gray and Jody Fortson have been red zone weapons through the first few weeks, much to the delight of Kelce, who praised the tight end room during his recent conversation with Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that we were very fortunate to have an awesome tight-end room,” said Kelce. “Our coach Tom Melvin does a great job of keeping us all in line, knowing that we all have big personalities and we all love to go out there and play the game. So just controlling that and controlling the creativity that we all may have is definitely the hardest part. But like I said, we have a great tight end room. We even have a fourth tight end and Blake Bell, and we’re hoping to get back before the season’s over with.”

Gray is in his second season in the league and has been featured in some unique plays, including Sunday’s direct snap for a touchdown. Fortson has bounced back from an Achilles injury suffered last season to be a tough cover in the red zone. A potential return of veteran Blake Bell will only add to the group’s versatility because of his solid blocking ability.

Each of Gray, Fortson and Kelce scored a touchdown in the team’s game against the Buccaneers in Week 4. As a whole, Kelce believes this tight end group has a major impact on the team’s ability to win games.

“As long as we’re scoring touchdowns as a group every single game, I think we’re gonna keep winning football games,” Kelce concluded.

Kelce has been the headline player from the tight end room, but he is more than willing to share the wealth. Not just in terms of scoring points, but also in terms of sharing the knowledge that he’s learned over the course of his career.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing Week 2 with Chiefs Wire

Answers to a few burning questions about the Chiefs ahead of their matchup with the Chargers.

The Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs are about to duke it out in a divisional showdown under the lights on Thursday night.

Before the matchup, Chiefs Wire managing editor Charles Goldman spoke with us about Los Angeles’ opponent.

What is the cornerback rotation going to look like with Trent McDuffie on injured reserve?

Yeah, so seventh-round rookie Jaylen Watson filled in for McDuffie after he left the game with the injury last week. He was targeted twice, recording a pass defended and [allowing a] a 6-yard touchdown pass. To his credit, he played 25 coverage snaps and was only targeted twice. That’s pretty good for a guy coming off the bench cold in the middle of a Week 1 game. When the Chiefs have three cornerbacks on the field, expect L’Jarius Sneed in the slot with Watson and Rashad Fenton outside. In base defense, it’ll likely be Sneed and Fenton. In dime, you’ll see rookie safety Bryan Cook on the field. If there is another injury, fourth-round draft pick Joshua Williams will be the next man up. He has a lot of upside to his game, but coming from D-II HBCU Fayetteville State, he’s not yet a finished product.

Who’s an underrated player that flashed in Week 1 that you expect to have a big game?

I’m not sure that he had what I’d call a standout game, with one reception for 1 yard and one touchdown, but I think TE Jody Fortson will be a guy the Chiefs utilize a lot in Week 2. The Chargers are going to have Derwin James blanketing Travis Kelce, so I expect to see some 12-personnel sets with Kelce and Fortson, where Kelce is used as a decoy. Fortson actually scored his first career NFL touchdown against the Chargers in Week 3 last season.

How is the offense going to operate differently without Tyreek Hill?

I think you saw it last week. Nine different receivers were targeted, and five of them were targeted more than once. They traded away an elite receiving talent in Hill, but they traded it for better depth at the receiver position across the board. When opponents try to key in on stopping one player like they often did with Hill, they’re going to have the counterpunch ready and available. I also think their attack is a bit more diversified. They’re not just going for the home-run shot with Hill anymore. It’s not to say they can’t take the shot play anymore, but they have the pieces to be able to win at any down and distance.

What do you think the Chiefs’ game plan on defense will be against Justin Herbert?

I think it’ll actually be fairly similar to the plan they had for Kyler Murray a week ago. You don’t want to flush him out of the pocket. He’s not exactly the dual-threat athlete that Murray is, but Herbert has a really good feel for pressure, escaping the pocket and making plays outside of the structure of the offense. They’ll work to corral him and contain him to the pocket as best they can, also sending the occasional blitz.

Kansas City had some of the more publicized offseason standouts in Skyy Moore and Isiah Pacheco. Should Chargers fans expect them to have a big role, or has the hype died down?

I don’t think the hype has died down for either, but they’re both sort of buried on the depth chart right now. You’ll see Moore on punt returns and Pacheco on kick returns. The Chiefs also will have certain package plays for both of them during the course of the game. If Andy Reid sees a matchup advantage, he could potentially script them into the first 15 plays. If the Chiefs jump out to a big lead, they’ll probably get Pacheco in there to bleed the clock like they did last week.

Why the Chiefs’ new offensive wrinkles could spell trouble for the Chargers

The Chiefs and Chargers face off Thursday night. Here’s why Andy Reid’s new-look offense could be a problem for Brandon Staley.

When the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers face off on Thursday night to start Week 2 of the 2022 regular season, everybody will be talking about Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. And with good reason — Mahomes just demolished the Cardinals in Week 1, and the Raiders didn’t have too many answers for Herbert, either. But there are other matchups within the matchups, and things you see on tape as you go along.

Regarding this game, what you want to watch for is the Chiefs’ run game versus the Chargers’ run defense. Two things that did not work well at all last season, and both teams are looking to turn those trends around as quickly as possible.

In their Week 1 rematch against a Raiders team that absolutely blew their run defense out of the ballpark and took them out of the playoffs as a result, the Chargers allowed just 64 yards on 13 carries from Josh Jacobs and Brandon Bolden. Limiting Jacobs (especially) took a specific schematic constraint that worked, and we’ll get into that in a minute, but as well as that went, the Chargers had best be ready for a Chiefs run game that all of a sudden does not at all resemble the gimmick-heavy stuff they were trying to make work last season.

Brandon Staley, the Chargers’ head coach, defensive mastermind, and noted light-box advocate, was asked on Tuesday why the Chiefs are such a great red zone team. His answer really applied to all levels of the field.

“Because you have to defend all five people and the quarterback. Any time all five people are a legitimate threat to do something with the football down there, and you have to account for the quarterback, you’re maximizing your chances of being an outstanding red zone team. They run the football well down there because they can run it, and they can get the RPO version of the game, so they can change the math, even the math out down there. They’re an outstanding screen team. A very, very tough cover. That’s why they’re such a good football team.”

That’s Staley’s challenge. The challenge facing Kansas City head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is how to best deal with a Chargers team that will understand everything they’re bringing to Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night.

Here’s how that might look once it’s game time — and why Staley may be outnumbered no matter what he calls.

32 fantasy football sleepers, one from every NFL team

Highlighting one fantasy football sleeper from each NFL team.

The NFL fantasy football is upon us, which means it’s time to start assembling your roster in hopes of winning your league.

There’s a lot that goes into winning a fantasy football championship, including team managers finding some hidden gems in the later rounds of the draft. There are some players who are being slept on that have the potential to develop into weekly starters on your fantasy team, which could mean the difference between going far in the playoffs and a quick exit.

We’ve rounded up our NFL Wires editors to find one sleeper from each NFL team that could help you win your league at a bargain price.

Patrick Mahomes’ connection with Jody Fortson stars in Chiefs’ preseason Week 2 win

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ chemistry with TE Jody Fortson starred in the team’s preseason Week 2 win: “I’ve kind of built that trust with him now.”

Over half of the points scored by the Kansas City Chiefs in their preseason Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders can be attributed to the budding connection between two players — QB Patrick Mahomes and TE Jody Fortson.

Just days after Mahomes named Fortson as one of the team’s standout players of training camp, the fourth-year tight end went off in the preseason against Washington. The pair combined for two catches for 12 yards and two touchdowns on the night. It was a significant milestone for Fortson, who hadn’t played in a game since October 17th of 2021, when he suffered a season-ending non-contact Achilles injury.

The standout performance by Fortson doesn’t come as a surprise to Chiefs Kingdom, as they were witness to this budding connection last season. Fortson caught 5-of-5 passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns in six games played. He was earning an increasing number of repetitions and playing time before his injury. This game showed that Fortson has picked up right where he left off and that his chemistry with Mahomes has grown even stronger.

The Chiefs’ signal-caller said that he now trusts Fortson enough to go to him in high-leverage moments.

“It was obviously kind of a crossing route-type play,” Mahomes told reporters after the game. “They actually played it really well. I think you’ve seen with Jody (Fortson), when he’s one-on-one and he has a guy behind him, you can kind of give him that chance. I’ve kind of built that trust with him now and I think you saw it two times today, where he wasn’t necessarily open. But when you have a big guy like him that can catch the ball, make those physical and tough catches, you give him a chance and he makes me look good.”

Fortson said it’s easy to make plays for Mahomes, who he believes has the best accuracy among any quarterback in the NFL.

“Patrick (Mahomes) is just one of the greats,” Fortson said. “I feel like he has the best accuracy in the NFL. Especially on that second (TD), I don’t know how he got it in there, but he did. The first (TD), he just did a great job of putting the ball where only I can get it. I’ve got the best QB in the league.”

While a former Chiefs pass-catcher might not agree with that assessment, this performance provided perhaps the most all-encompassing view of the new-look offense in Kansas City. The Chiefs are going to attack opposing defenses with a variety of different weapons. Fortson is just one piece of the puzzle, especially when it comes to his ability to contribute in the red zone.

“Yeah, I think so for sure,” Mahomes said of Fortson becoming a red zone target. “He was already emerging like that last year a little bit before he got hurt. We were giving him more and more plays down there. And I think you see it even today, it’s just another weapon down there that we can use. I mean, we have so many options with all the screens and the plays to (Travis) Kelce and all the shovel passes. But when you have a guy that is one-on-one and can make a catch like (Jody Fortson) did today? That’s a DB in a good position, but when you have a guy that is that big that can high-point the ball on those catches it gives you another option that will open up other stuff for us.”

This performance has been a long-time coming for Fortson, who began his career in Kansas City as a wide receiver fresh out of D-II football’s Valdosta State. His rehab and recovery from his Achilles injury was a long road, but one that he attacked with purpose. It didn’t go unnoticed by his quarterback either, who is happy to see it paid off in the interim and hopes to see the success for Fortson continue in the future.

“When you’re a guy coming off of injury like that, it’s going to take some time,” Mahomes said of Fortson. “But I think the biggest thing that I saw, even last year, he was in there every single day. It wasn’t like he went off and did his own thing while he did rehab because you can do that. But he was in the facility every single day working. That’s the type of guy that he is. He was on the practice squad for two years, he came from a small school, but every single day he’s been here he has worked hard. He’s done whatever he can to get himself better and I think it’s paying off for him now. Hopefully, he can carry it on to the rest of his season and the rest of his career.”

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Patrick Mahomes vs. Washington’s defense was the mismatch you’d expect

When Patrick Mahomes went up against the Washington Commanders’ bust-prone defense, the result came as no surprise.

There are a few ways to… well, if not “beat” Patrick Mahomes, at least make him look a bit more mortal. You can throw all kinds of two-high coverage against him, and that works more often than not. In 2021, Mahomes completed 215 of 332 passes against two-deep looks for 2,532 yards, 1,401 air yards, nine touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a Positive Play Rate of 50.3%. Only Trevor Lawrence had more interceptions against two-deep coverage last season, and given the disaster Lawrence had to work with, we’re inclined to say that it doesn’t count.

You can also throw eight in coverage against him to constrict his openings and throwing lanes, as the Bengals did against him in the second half and in overtime of the AFC Championship game, and that turns out to be pretty effective, as well — especially since blitzing Mahomes is an invitation to absolute disaster for your defense.

What you probably don’t want to do is to throw a bunch of vanilla one-on-one coverage (and coverage busts) against him. Mahomes will go thermonuclear on you if you do, and for some reason, that’s what the Washington Commanders decided to do in the first half of their Saturday game against Kansas City.

As you could easily surmise, it did not go well. Mahomes was in for the first two drives of the game, both drives went 12 plays (for 82 and 87 yards), the Chiefs were 5-fot-5 converting third downs, both drives ended in touchdown passes from Mahomes to receiver Jody Fortson, and Mahomes finished his day completing 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards, those two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 125.3. Had Mahomes not had a couple of miscommunications with new receivers, things would have been even worse for Jack Del Rio’s defense.

Sadly, this is par for the course for the Football Team/Commanders under Del Rio. In 2020, when Del Rio became the defensive coordinator, Washington finished third in Defensive DVOA. In 2021, that fell to 27th (28th against the pass), and busted coverages were a common problem, despite a lot of talent in the secondary.

Last season, no defense allowed more passing touchdowns than Washington’s 34, to just 11 interceptions. That defense also allowed 400 catches on 597 attempts for 4,542 yards, a completion rate of 67.0%, a yards per attempt allowed of 7.6, an opponent passer rating of 100.9, and an opponent EPA of 67.90.

Based on how things looked against Mahomes, the Commanders may be in for a repeat performance. How did things go so wrong in such a bit hurry? There were a few reasons. We’ll start with basic coverage issues.

Chiefs TE Jody Fortson back at training camp practice following quad injury

#Chiefs TE Jody Fortson is back at training camp practice on Thursday after missing eight practices with a quad injury.

It’s the last day of training camp practice ahead of preseason Week 1 for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The team got some good news on the injury front as they kicked off their final practice session of the week. After missing the past eight practices with a quad injury, TE Jody Fortson was back in full pads and participating in practice on Thursday. He was spotted making his way down the hill to practice by a number of reporters in attendance.

It’s unclear just how much work he’ll do during the course of Thursday’s practice. The team proceeded with an overabundance of caution with Fortson’s quad as he’s coming off of a season-ending Achilles injury in 2021.

“Listen, he’s progressing,” Reid said of Fortson’s injury on Saturday, Aug. 6. “So, you never know on these things. That’s where I try not to put a time on them. We’ll see. We’ll see where it goes but it doesn’t seem to be serious but it’s serious enough where we need to keep him out here and not have it happen again.”

Expect the team to be cautious with his repetitions in practice early on as they work him back from this injury and work to ensure it stays a one-time thing.

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Andy Reid excited for return of Chiefs TE Jody Fortson

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid is excited to see TE Jody Fortson pick up where he left off after an Achilles injury last season. | from @TheJohnDillon

Travis Kelce stands alone in today’s NFL, but the Kansas City Chiefs have a second offensive outlet that might be the next big thing if he can overcome early-career injuries.

Jody Forston, the fourth-year tight end who burst onto the scene last season before tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 6, has emerged ready to play in St. Joseph. He’s flashed the same athleticism that made him such an exciting prospect this time a year ago. It was clear that Andy Reid saw something in the Valdosta State product in 2021, but given how early the campaign ended, his development remained an intriguing mystery. Now, Fortson is set to make another run at the 53-man roster, but he faces a competitive offensive skill position group.

Fortson was praised by the veteran coach during the Chiefs’ Wednesday presser when he noted the chemistry that has built between the tight end and his quarterback since 2019.

“[It is] good to have him back,” Reid told reporters. “So, he’s somebody with the quarterback’s trust. He plays hard, aggressive every play. I’m happy for him because he has worked so hard to put himself in the position he put himself in last year; now he’s got another go at it. I thought he was just coming on last year. I expect him to pick it up and go from there.”

Fortson is still a relative unknown for Chiefs fans who got their first real glimpse of him last season, but it would appear his hype train is on the right track heading into this season. He’ll have some stiff competition if he intends to see significant targets with the likes of Kelce, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Mecole Hardman eating up snaps. However, in two- and three- tight end pass sets, Fortson could prove to be a real asset for the team.

The first and second preseason games will be a barometer for Fortson’s viability as a potential second-stringer, but if he can keep himself on the field and show the same steady hands he had last year, he could be a lock to make the final roster.

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