Tag: tight end

Should Chiefs look to target a TE in the 2025 NFL draft?

In his ‘Daft on Draft’ first round mock, expert draftnik Cory Kinnan mocked Michigan TE Colston Loveland to the #Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a perfect start to their 2024 campaign and have a ton of momentum behind them ahead of a Week 7 Super Bowl LVIII rematch against the San Francisco 49ers.

Though things are going great for the defending champions at the moment, some pundits are already looking ahead to the 2025 NFL draft to predict who the Chiefs might add to sustain their budding dynasty.

This week, expert draftnik Cory Kinnan, who is the managing editor of Brown Wire, sent Michigan Wolverines tight end Colston Loveland to Kansas City in his latest Daft on Draft first-round mock draft, predicting that the Chiefs will look for the heir to Travis Kelce’s throne in April.

Though it would certainly make sense for the Chiefs to target a pass-catcher, Kelce may be able to allay the fears of his decline with an outstanding performance against the 49ers on Sunday afternoon in Week 7.

Chiefs LB Nick Bolton describes George Kittle’s impact: ‘He’s a huge matchup problem’

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton describes George Kittle’s impact: ‘He’s a huge matchup problem’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton spoke to the media on Friday, revealing his thoughts on San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle.

“He’s a huge matchup problem,” said Bolton. “He’s bigger than most safeties and faster than most linebackers.”

The Chiefs last faced off against Kittle and the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, where the defense held the Pro Bowler below his typical production. Kittle only managed two catches for 4 yards and left momentarily with an injury in the Kansas City victory.

“We have to mix our matchups up on him,” said Bolton, “Put some hands on him when we can, disrupt his timing, and hopefully can frustrate him a little bit as the game progresses, but I think it’s going to be different matchups, different guys get on him a little bit, try to rough him up when we can, and then ultimately just make them make tight throws and live to play another down.”

The Chiefs’ defense has held opponents late in games to close victories, contributing to the undefeated start. Bolton has 38 tackles heading into Week 7 feeling healthier after the bye week.

‘Law and Order: SVU’ star teases potential appearance from Chiefs TE Travis Kelce

‘Law and Order: SVU’ star teases potential appearance from Kansas City #Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce continues to grow his name in the entertainment industry with several high-profile roles. Whether hosting or acting, the versatile personality has successfully shown his ability to thrive on and off the field.

During a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Mariska Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson, discussed how Kelce could make a cameo on the long-running TV drama ‘Law and Order: SVU.’

“I heard through the grapevine that he is a fan of the show,” said Hargitay, “I think both brothers are.”

Kelce mentioned his interest in the iconic show during the November 29th, 2023, episode of the New Heights podcast last season.

“Honestly, if Law & Order is on, I’ll just sit there for, like, five minutes,” said Kelce, and if I catch on, I am just there for an hour.”

Kelce and his brother Jason could appear in a future episode because of their fandom and soaring popularity. The sky is the limit regarding Kelce’s interests as he firmly grows his presence in the entertainment industry.

Chiefs elevate fan-favorite TE to 53-man roster, sign second-year DB

The #Chiefs elevated fan-favorite TE Jody Fortson to their 53-man roster on Friday, and signed DB Darius Rush to a practice squad contract. | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced two roster moves ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

The recent addition of tight end Jody Fortson to the practice squad was a welcome sight for many players who have been teammates with him during multiple Super Bowl runs.

The former wide receiver converted tight end was initially signed by the Miami Dolphins last offseason but was cut shortly before the start of the regular season. The move corresponds to the Chiefs placing receiver Rashee Rice on injured reserve on Thursday.

Fortson proved to be a reliable red-zone target for Patrick Mahomes, collecting four receiving touchdowns in his two active seasons with Kansas City.

However, he spent most of the 2023 season on injured reserve with a dislocated shoulder and didn’t play a game last season.

The Chiefs are also bringing back defensive back Darius Rush as their latest signing to the practice squad. Rush, a 2023 fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, has spent time on Kansas City’s practice squad and was recently cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers squad.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce reaches new heights in franchise history

Kansas City #Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce reaches new heights in franchise history | @EdEastonJr

The career of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is likely destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He continues to add accolades to his resume that put him in very rare air in the league’s legacy.

During the Chiefs’ 17-10 victory over the Chargers, Kelce captured an illustrious title in the franchise’s history. At the start of the second quarter, with 14:09 left before the half, Kelce caught a five-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes, putting him ahead of Tony Gonzalez for most receptions in franchise history.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid congratulated Kelce after the game for his accomplishments and his ability to beat the defense on several plays last Sunday.

“(Travis) Kelce had a nice day, and it was good to see that – which we knew was going to happen somewhere along here,” said Reid on Monday. “They (the Chargers) played quite a bit of zone, so (they) allowed Kelce to work in zones, and they weren’t squeezing him on that.”

Kelce now owns 922 career receptions, ranking first by a tight end and any pass catcher in club history. He already ranks second for most receptions in a tight end’s first 12 seasons. Despite missing nearly his entire rookie season due to injury, he trails Jason Witten by 21 receptions.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Travis Kelce critics: ‘I really don’t care what anybody thinks’

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on Travis Kelce critics: ‘I really don’t care what anybody thinks’ | @EdEastonJr

The criticism of Travis Kelce dominated the headlines leading up to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 4 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. The star tight end essentially shut down those negative reviews of the start of his season with a vintage performance on Sunday.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media following Sunday’s victory, praising Kelce’s best game of the season.

“Kelce did a nice job of just getting in windows. And then when they did play, man, he was able to do a nice job there,” said Reid. “It wasn’t as much double team as maybe seen or settling on him as much as he’s seen. So he did very good.”

He finished the game with seven catches for 90 yards to lead the team. The veteran took advantage of how he was being defended this week, and his head coach once again defended his performance.

“I really don’t care what anybody thinks. I watch what the defense does and how they respect him, so I take it off of that,” said Reid. “I watch Trav every day, so I get to see him and how he works. He never wants to come out and practice the game; he’s all in all the time. I don’t worry about all that.”

Kelce made big plays and is poised to continue pushing his team into the weekly win column.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce responds to criticism of his slow start: ‘I just want to have a successful offense’

Kansas City #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce responds to criticism of his slow start: ‘I just want to have a successful offense’ | @EdEastonJr

The past week has been filled with criticism from many around the league for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce because of his uncharacteristic slow start to the season.

During the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Travis discussed his slow start to the season and expressed his focus on the team’s success.

“I’m not getting caught up in getting the targets and all that. I just want to have a successful offense, and I think Pat’s (Patrick Mahomes) doing a great job of finding the open guy and making the right decisions right now. And we just have to keep finding,” said Kelce. “It’s a new offense, new players, new pieces, and we’re just finding how to have success throughout the season.”

Through three games, Kelce has eight catches for 69 yards and no touchdowns. The limited targets due to defensive game plans haven’t affected the team’s success, as teammates have taken advantage of all the attention on him.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FkiRm_G1r_s

“As an offense, you’re going to go through these ups and downs throughout the season,” said Kelce. “You just want to make sure that you clean up all the mistakes that you’re making you’re communicating so that everybody understands exactly where we are going moving forward, and nobody does it better than coach (Andy) Reid and Pat Mahomes in that regard.”

The multiple-time All-Pro hopes for a significant jump in production this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Travis Kelce comments on the return of a Chiefs fan favorite: ‘He’s been working his tail off’

Kansas City #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce comments on the return of Jody Fortson: ‘He’s been working his tail off’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs continue to add familiar faces to fill roster holes, creating a reunion-like vibe in the locker room.

Chiefs Pro Bowler Travis Kelce spoke to the media on Friday about the recent practice squad signing of Jody Fortson.

“Another energy guy, man. Jody (Fortson), we missed Jody since he left,” said Kelce. “But at the same time, he comes right in, still working as hard as he’s ever worked, still trying to prove himself, and still just getting better, constantly getting better. And I think Jody is a great guy to have in the building, and on top of that, he’s a great dude, man.”

Fortson went undrafted in 2019, signing with the Chiefs and spending his early years on the practice squad. He didn’t make the active roster and see regular-season game action until 2021, but he was a member of the last three Super Bowl-winning teams.

“He’s been working his tail off, trying to get ingrained into this offense and understand just the little nuances here and there,” said Kelce. “I think we’re all trying to critique ourselves to keep getting better and to keep progressing in the tight end room, and we got a lot of athletes and a lot of guys that play some ball in there.”

Fortson signed with the Miami Dolphins in the offseason but was cut shortly before the start of the season. He returns to Kansas City with hopes of continuing to build while on the practice squad.

Report: Fan favorite TE meeting with Chiefs on Thursday

According to Nate Taylor of The Athletic, fan favorite TE Jody Fortson met with the #Chiefs on Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs may be looking to bring in another tight end after Travis Kelce’s slow start in the 2024 regular season.

On Thursday, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reported that tight end Jody Fortson, a fan favorite in Kansas City, was at the Chiefs’ facilities.

Though Taylor didn’t indicate whether the team intended to sign Fortson, who has been part of all three of Kansas City’s Super Bowl rosters in the Patrick Mahomes era, his meeting with the Chiefs could indicate Brett Veach’s desire to add a big-bodied pass-catcher to Andy Reid’s offense.

Fortson signed with the Miami Dolphins earlier this year but has been a free agent since he was released on August 25.

https://twitter.com/ByNateTaylor/status/1839346956600242442

Fortson’s meeting with Kansas City isn’t less likely to be a product of concern about Kelce but, rather, a sign that the Chiefs are seeking to sign a red zone threat who can help Mahomes finish drives with touchdowns.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid shares assessment of Travis Kelce’s start to the season: ‘Travis is fine’

Kansas City #Chiefs HC Andy Reid shares assessment of Travis Kelce’s start to the season: ‘Travis is fine’ | @EdEastonJr

The defending Super Bowl champions’ undefeated start doesn’t exclude them from critics seeking potential issues with the team.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters on Wednesday about the ongoing criticism of star tight end Travis Kelce over his lack of production through three games.

“I know people are saying that he’s old, or whatever, has distractions and all this. The defenses don’t think that,” said Reid. “We have another receiver that plays opposite him that has a lot of yards and catches, and that’s how this thing goes. Travis is fine.”

Kelce has eight catches for 69 yards and no touchdowns through three weeks. He’s had limited targets due to defensive strategy but has opened up opportunities for his teammates.

“He does know that, and he collects people, and then you have the check downs that we had last week, these big gains Noah (Gray) standing in the middle of the field by himself for one-on-one situations,” said Reid. “Trav (Travis Kelce) knows it. I mean, he literally said (as) he came off the field, so just keep dialing him up and let him do that.”

Kelce will look to bounce back this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi stadium, where he’s had good games in past seasons.