In a preseason opener that took a while to get interesting, an under-the-radar player quietly led the Kansas City Chiefs in receiving yards.
Daurice Fountain, still just 25 years old, has played in six career NFL games. Last season with the Colts, he recorded just two catches for 23 yards. He was listed as a fourth-string wideout heading into Saturday's victory over the San Francisco 49ers but despite that, he capitalized routinely.
On six targets, Fountain hauled in four passes for 38 yards. His yardage total was good enough to beat out Jody Forton (32) and Elijah McGuire (27) by a decent margin. In addition to working with the offense as a wide receiver, Fountain also returned one kickoff for 21 yards. Overall, he received multiple opportunities and made the most of them. He's grateful for the chance to be a Chief.
"It's really special," Fountain said when asked about being a member of the organization. "The Chiefs have always been an elite team in the league so when they gave me the opportunity, I was just grateful. I just had to thank God because, obviously, you can see this receiving corps is stacked."
Fountain is right about the Chiefs' receiving corps. Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle and Cornell Powell project to be — possibly in that order — the team's top five receivers this year. Behind them, Fountain finds himself competing against the likes of special teams standout Marcus Kemp, familiar face Gehrig Dieter and others.
To put it bluntly: Fountain's work is cut out for him as he attempts to make the roster with the Chiefs. Performing well in the preseason is a necessity, especially considering how talented the group ahead of him is. Luckily, thanks to preparation and the aforementioned opportunity meeting at the same time, he cashed in during preseason Week 1.
"I just really went into the game today just saying, 'I've got to take advantage of my reps,'" Fountain said. "Coach Reid, Joe and everybody else, they've been doing a really good job of helping me prepare and get ready for these preseason games just to get an opportunity to go out and showcase my skill."
Fountain also mentioned wanting to be a physical presence. In an offense that's filled with speedsters and finesse threats, winning with power and physicality makes sense. Playing to his strengths and separating from the pack that way will suit him well as he tries to avoid looming roster cuts.
It remains to be seen how long Fountain will remain with the Chiefs. If his first game with the team is any indication, that tenure may last longer than many originally anticipated. With that said, preseason results need to be taken with a grain of salt. If Fountain has anything to say about it, though, he wants to prove that Kansas City is where he belongs.
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