The Kansas City Chiefs signaled a possible changing of the guard in the bottom part of their tight end room when they allowed Blake Bell and Jody Fortson to enter free agency. Less than a full day after the legal tampering period ended, one of those players is apparently moving on to another franchise.
Per his agents at Katz Brothers Sports, Jody Fortson has signed with the Miami Dolphins.
Fortson, 28, was not tendered a contract offer during the available window for restricted free agents. That promptly made him an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any NFL club once the new league year began. That next destination for Fortson is Miami, who lost to Kansas City during the Wild Card round of the 2023-24 NFL postseason.
During his time with the Chiefs, Fortson played 19 games spanning the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In those contests, he hauled in 14 passes on 18 targets for 155 yards and four touchdowns. Praised by many as a red zone threat, Fortson snuck on the field in multi-tight end sets and made an impact in a good handful of games for the club.
Unfortunately, injuries were a common theme during Fortson's Chiefs tenure. 2021 saw him suffer a torn Achilles tendon, and he was placed on injured reserve before the start of last season with a shoulder injury. He didn't appear in any games for Kansas City this past campaign, which may have contributed to the lack of a contract offer being tendered.
Earlier this week, Joshua Brisco of Arrowhead Report discussed the Chiefs' recent Irv Smith Jr. signing and its potential impact on the Fortson free agency situation.
Still just 25 years old (turning 26 in August), the former second-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft is a very Chief-y addition by general manager Brett Veach's standards. Smith has been useful in limited roles in his NFL career, and he provides more pass-catching upside than most of the Chiefs' third tight ends in recent years. With tight end Blake Bell hitting free agency at age 32 and 28-year-old Jody Fortson not receiving an RFA tender (with the Chiefs reportedly looking to bring him back cheaply in free agency), Smith immediately slots in as KC's TE3, with a chance to see the field behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.
For his age-28 season, Fortson will look to latch on with the Dolphins and make an impact on his second NFL team. Miami's star-studded offense boasts plenty of other options for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, including Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Fortson adds athleticism and championship experience to Mike McDaniel's offense, and he'll always be remembered in Kansas City for his efforts.
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