Fortson, an exclusive-rights free agent, was tendered by Kansas City on Tuesday, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.
He split his 356 snaps almost equally between offense and special teams last year. As the No. 3 tight end behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, there weren't many looks left over for Fortson, resulting in 14 catches on 18 targets over the last two seasons, although he did score four TDs. He should continue to fill a similar role in 2023.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Off IR
Rotowire
Fortson (elbow) was activated off injured reserve Saturday.
It'll be interesting to see how many snaps Fortson actually sees Sunday with both Noah Gray and Blake Bell healthy and in the offensive fold for the Chiefs, but Travis Kelce's (back) late emergence on the injury report Friday could mean the team will safeguard its prized target a bit more. Fortson had just 13 targets across 13 regular-season contests this season.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: May be activated this week
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Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Fortson (elbow) has a chance to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.
Fortson returned to practice ahead of the divisional-round matchup against the Jaguars, but he ultimately remained on injured reserve and missed a fourth straight game due to an elbow injury. Reid said Fortson and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) could both be back in the fold this Sunday, but the tight end seems to be further along in his recovery from injury than the running back. Fortson, who caught nine of 13 targets for 108 yards and two scores across 13 regular-season appearances, will likely have only a minimal role on offense Sunday if he's brought back from IR prior to the game.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Remains on IR
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Fortson (elbow) wasn't activated from injured reserve Friday and won't play in Saturday's divisional-round matchup against the Jaguars, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
As expected, Fortson will miss a fourth straight game due to a subluxated elbow. He returned to practice this week and appears to be trending in the right direction, so the backup tight end could be available for a potential AFC Championship Game if Kansas City advances.
Head coach Andy Reid said Thursday that Fortson (elbow) is "probably not" going to be activated for Saturday's AFC divisional-round matchup against the Jaguars, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Despite being designated to return from injured reserve Tuesday, it currently sounds like Fortson is on track to miss a fourth consecutive matchup due to a subluxated elbow. Should that eventually be the case, Noah Gray and Blake Bell are both slated to receive rotational tight end snaps behind All-Pro selection Travis Kelce this weekend.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Designated to return from IR
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Fortson (elbow) was designated to return from injured reserve and will practice Tuesday, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.
Fortson missed the final three regular-season games due to a subluxated elbow, but he'll return to practice this week and have a shot to play in Saturday's divisional-round matchup against Jacksonville. Across 13 appearances, the backup tight end caught nine of 13 targets for 108 yards and two scores, but he played more on special teams (181 snaps) than he did on offense (175).
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Placed on injured reserve
Rotowire
The Chiefs placed Fortson (elbow) on injured reserve Friday.
Fortson was already ruled out for Saturday's matchup against the Seahawks, but the backup tight end will now miss at least four games, including the final three regular-season contests, due to a subluxed elbow. Blake Bell, who was activated off injured reserve Friday, figures to take over as the No. 3 tight end behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Deemed out Week 16
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Fortson (elbow) will not play in Saturday's game against the Seahawks.
Fortson did not participate during Week 16 prep while dealing with a subluxed elbow, which could keep him sidelined for multiple games. While there's still no timeline for the 27-year-old's return, his next opportunity to play will come versus Denver on Sunday, Jan. 1. With Fortson sidelined, Kansas City could be left short handed behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray if veteran tight end Blake Bell (hip) is not activated from IR before Saturday.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Unlikely to play Saturday
Rotowire
Fortson is unlikely to play Saturday against the Seahawks due to an elbow injury and could be sidelined for multiple weeks, Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride reports.
Head coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that Fortson didn't practice Tuesday because his elbow subluxated. The extent of the injury remains unclear, but it sounds likely Fortson could miss at least one game. However, on a positive note, the Chiefs designated Blake Bell (hip) to return from IR Tuesday, so he could help fill some of the backup tight end duties if Fortson is out for an extended period.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Just 10 snaps in Week 14
Rotowire
Fortson went without a target while playing 10 snaps on offense in Sunday's 34-28 win over the Broncos.
After drawing a season-high three targets in the Chiefs' Week 12 win over the Rams, Fortson has largely fallen out of the game plan over the subsequent two weeks. He's been targeted just once while playing 20 snaps on offense the past two games, with Fortson picking up more reps on special teams during that stretch. Fortson looks to be the clear No. 3 option at tight end behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Draws season-high three targets
Rotowire
Fortson was on the field for 17 of the Chiefs' 76 snaps on offense and recorded two receptions for 26 yards on three targets in Sunday's 26-10 win over the Rams.
Seven-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce remains the Chiefs' top tight end and the top fantasy producer at the position in the NFL, but backups Noah Gray and Fortson haven't been complete nonentities in the passing game. Even though Gray and Fortson are utilized mostly as blockers when on the field, they've combined to produce 26 receptions, 277 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns through Kansas City's first 11 games. Neither Gray nor Fortson is likely to see his role expand much from its current level, however, so long as Kelce remains available.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Gets in full practice
Rotowire
Fortson (quadriceps) participated fully at practice Wednesday ahead of Sunday's game versus Jacksonville.
Fortson was forced to miss Monday night's win versus Tennessee with a quad injury, but it appears he should be ready to roll again for Week 10. As long as Travis Kelce is also healthy though, Fortson probably won't see enough work to be a viable fantasy option in most formats.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Won't practice Wednesday
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Fortson won't practice Wednesday due to a quadricep contusion, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
The Chiefs are coming off a bye, so it's a little concerning to see Fortson appear on the injury report Wednesday. The severity of the quadricep contusion remains unclear, but he'll have two more opportunities to practice before the team needs to make a decision on his availability for Sunday's matchup against Tennessee.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Records second touchdown
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Fortson turned his lone target into a 10-yard touchdown reception in Sunday's 41-31 win over the Buccaneers.
All three of Kansas City's tight ends finished with touchdowns on the night, as top option Travis Kelce scored on a 16-yard connection with Patrick Mahomes in the first quarter, while Noah Gray took a direct snap for a one-yard score in the second quarter. Fortson then provided the Chiefs' final touchdown of the night in the third quarter, marking the second time he's found the end zone this season. He's now scored on both of his receptions this season, but he's drawn just three targets in total through four games.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Finds paydirt in Week 1
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Fortson hauled in his lone target for a one-yard touchdown reception in the Chiefs' 44-21 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.
Starting tight end Travis Kelce had a huge outing in Week 1 (eight receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown on nine targets), but the Chiefs were still able to find playing time for depth options in Noah Gray (36 snaps, one catch for 10 yards on two targets) and Fortson (22 snaps). Gray and Fortson are still likely to operate mostly as blockers when they're on the field, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes won't hesitate to occasionally look for the big-bodied Fortson (6-foot-4, 226 pounds) near the goal line. Fortson has only six career receptions to his name, but he's scored three touchdowns.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Returns to practice
Rotowire
Fortson (quadriceps) is an active participant at Thursday's practice, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.
Fortson suffered the injury July 30 and has not practiced with the team since. The 26-year-old was impressing early in camp, showing the potential to earn the No. 2 spot on the positional depth chart behind Travis Kelce. Now healthy, Fortson will work to gain back that momentum.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Injury not viewed as serious
Rotowire
Fortson (quadriceps) didn't practice Monday, but coach Andy Reid believes the tight end will be available to practice within the next few days, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
Once healthy, Fortson will compete for a depth role at tight end behind Travis Kelce. Per Reid, Fortson's injury "isn't too bad."
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Picks up quad injury
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Fortson left Saturday's training camp practice early due to a quadriceps injury, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
More details about Fortson's injury will reportedly be made available Monday. The 26-year-old was reportedly making plays early on in camp and inching toward securing the No. 2 tight end gig behind Travis Kelce, but it now remains to be seen if he'll have to miss significant time. Fortson tore his Achilles last October, but he has since gained clearance to participate in on-field activities.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Making plays in camp
Rotowire
Forston reeled in six of his seven targets during training camp Friday, including an impressive catch against cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
Per Sweeney, Fortson is seemingly making the strongest case to be the team's No. 2 tight end early in camp. The Chiefs also have Blake Bell and spent a fifth-round pick on Noah Gray last season with the hope Gray could develop into the future of the position, but neither should be considered a lock for the spot. Regardless of Forston's standing on the depth chart as the preseason wears on, the obvious hurdle to fantasy value is Travis Kelce ranking above him, in addition to the team's new weapons out wide and in the backfield. However, Fortson could position himself to take over as the primary tight end in the event Kelce misses time.
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Chiefs' Jody Fortson: Playing 7-on-7 at minicamp
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Fortson (Achilles) participated in 7-on-7 drills during the Chiefs' minicamp, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Fortson tore his Achilles in October last year and was sidelined for the remainder of the 2021 season. He was limited throughout OTAs, but his participation in minicamp is an extremely encouraging sign for his availability heading into the 2022 campaign. The undrafted tight end out of Valdosta State caught five passes for 47 yards and two scores across six games during his rookie season, and if he's available to start the upcoming season, he'll compete with Blake Bell and Noah Gray for snaps behind Travis Kelce.
