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Skyy Moore Skyy Moore Picks up hamstring injury
Sat, May 7, 2022, 12:57 PM
Moore could be limited during the Chiefs' rookie OTAs due to a hamstring injury, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: The 2022 second-round pick didn't have any major injuries pre-draft, so this hardly appears to be problematic. The Western Michigan product is expected to compete with Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes-Scantling for the No. 2 role opposite JuJu Smith-Schuster. |
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Noah Gray Noah Gray Reprises backup role
Fri, May 6, 2022, 12:29 PM
Following the recent NFL Draft, Gray remains in the mix to back up Travis Kelce along with Blake Bell and Jody Fortson (Achilles), Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Of course, as long as Kelce, who logged 159 targets last season, remains available, there's not going to be much volume for Kansas City's reserve tight ends. In 2021, Gray caught seven of his 10 targets for 36 yards and a TD in 16 games. Meanwhile, Bell logged 13 targets in 16 contests and Fortson five in six outings. In the event that Kelce misses time for any reason in 2022, it's unclear who would fill in as the team's starting TE, with a time-share approach in which Gray -- a 2021 fifth-rounder -- would likely be a factor. |
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Jody Fortson Jody Fortson Rehab going well
Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 12:22 PM
Fortson (Achilles) shared images Thursday of him doing individual football drills with personal trainer Bobby Stroupe in Texas, Juan Cisneros of FOX 4 Kansas City reports.
Analysis: Fortson caught five passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns across six games during the 2021 campaign before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury during the Chiefs' Week 6 win over Washington. The 26-year-old, who's an exclusive rights free agent, was tendered by Kansas City in mid-March and, barring his health, could have a larger role in 2022 after the departure of Tyreek Hill. It's an encouraging sign to see the second-year tight end training with Stroupe, who's also Patrick Mahomes' trainer, but it remains unclear if he'll be 100 percent by the start of training camp. |
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Derrick Gore Derrick Gore Signs exclusive rights tender
Thu, Apr 7, 2022, 4:05 PM
Gore officially signed his exclusive rights contract tender Thursday, which will keep him with the Chiefs this season, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Analysis: Gore should provide depth behind fellow Kansas City running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire and newly-acquired Ronald Jones. The 27-year-old Gore saw the first regular-season action of his NFL career in 2021, registering 51 carries for 256 yards and two touchdowns along with 21 receptions for 80 yards in 11 contests, with Edwards-Helaire in and out of the lineup throughout last season. |
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire Clyde Edwards-Helaire Backfield depth added
Tue, Mar 29, 2022, 12:43 PM
The Chiefs have signed Ronald Jones to work in tandem with Edwards-Helaire this coming season, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Signing Jones addresses a void in the team's backfield, with Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon still unsigned in free agency. The former Buccaneer will now pair with Edwards-Helaire, creating the potential for a time-share that could hamper the weekly volume of the duo, when both are available. That said, in an offense that will no longer have explosive wideout Tyreek Hill to throw to, it's plausible that the Chiefs running backs, including Edwards-Helaire, will be presented with more receiving opportunities in 2022. Though it's possible that the team will continue to bring in additional skill players via free agency and/or the draft, for now things are set up for Edwards-Helaire and Jones to compete for RB slotting this summer. |
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Ronald Jones Ronald Jones Signing with Chiefs
Sat, Mar 26, 2022, 9:40 AM
Jones (ankle) will sign a one-year contract with the Chiefs, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Analysis: After a career-best 978 rushing yards in 2020, Jones fell behind Leonard Fournette in the rotation last season, finishing the campaign with only 101 carries for 428 yards and four touchdowns. He's landed in a pretty favorable spot, joining a running back room that's proven to be underwhelming so far. Jones should have an opportunity to compete for reps alongside Clyde Edwards-Helaire, especially with Darrel Williams on the free-agent market. |
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Mecole Hardman Mecole Hardman Gains new competition
Fri, Mar 25, 2022, 1:13 PM
Hardman has new competition at the wideout position after the Chiefs signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year contract Thursday, Tod Palmer of KSHB 41 Kansas City reports.
Analysis: It's still a net gain for Hardman in terms of potential for production in 2022 with Valdes-Scantling swapping in for star wideout Tyreek Hill. However, the Chiefs also picked up first and second-round draft picks in the deal that sent Hill to Miami, so there's a relatively strong chance at least one of those picks will be another wideout. |
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Marquez Valdes-Scantling Marquez Valdes-Scantling Inks three-year deal
Thu, Mar 24, 2022, 3:07 PM
The Chiefs have signed Valdes-Scantling to a three-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Per the report, the speedster's three-year pact is worth up to $36 million. Following the trade of Tyreek Hill, it was clear that the Chiefs needed to fortify their wideout corps, and adding Valdes-Scantling to the mix is a step in the right direction. The 27-year-old, who caught 26 of his 55 targets for 430 yards and three TDs in 11 games with Green Bay last season, will bring a field-stretching element to a Kansas City wide receiver depth chart that also includes JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, with further depth likely to arrive via free agency and/or the 2022 NFL Draft. |
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Blake Bell Blake Bell Remains in Kansas City
Thu, Mar 24, 2022, 2:00 PM
Bell signed a one-year contract with Kansas City on Thursday.
Analysis: Bell appeared in 16 games for the Chiefs last year and secured nine of 13 targets for 87 yards while rushing four times for 10 yards. He's unlikely to play a significant role in the team's offense as long as Travis Kelce remains healthy. |
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Patrick Mahomes Patrick Mahomes Loses top WR target
Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 12:20 PM
Mahomes will have to contend with a revamped wideout corps in 2022 after the Chiefs traded top receiver Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins on Wednesday in exchange for multiple draft picks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: In the wake of the move, the Chiefs' wideout ranks are currently headed by JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, with Josh Gordon, Justin Watson, Cornell Powell, Gehrig Dieter and Corey Coleman on hand as depth. That said, the Chiefs are destined to add numbers at the position, either through what's left in the free-agent pool and/or via April's draft. Regardless, losing a proven target and playmaker like Hill isn't optimal with regard to Mahomes' fantasy upside, at least until there's added clarity with regard to Kansas City's wideout pecking order once the dust settles this offseason. |
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Tyreek Hill Tyreek Hill Could be moved
Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 10:14 AM
The Chiefs granted Hill's agent permission to seek a trade Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Movement toward a contract extension reportedly has stalled, with both Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network suggesting Hill could now be traded to a team that's willing to pay him what he wants. The 28-year-old is under contract with the Chiefs for just one more season, and any new deal he might be able to land with another team will likely place him among the two or three highest-paid wide receivers in the league. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports the Dolphins and Jets are in talks with the Chiefs, while Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes the Chiefs are expected to seek "two first-round picks and more" in exchange for the star wideout. |
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JuJu Smith-Schuster JuJu Smith-Schuster Signs with Kansas City
Fri, Mar 18, 2022, 3:34 PM
Smith-Schuster has agreed to a one-year deal with the Chiefs, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the deal could earn Smith-Schuster up to $10.75 million this coming season. Injuries limited the 25-year-old to five games with the Steelers during the 2021 campaign, during which he logged a 15/129/0 stat line. Smith-Schuster was able to return to action in time for Pittsburgh's playoff loss to Kansas City, so he's presumably past the shoulder issue that had landed him on IR. In his new team context, Smith-Schuster will provide a quality complementary option alongside the Chiefs' top playmakers, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, with his fantasy ceiling boosted by the prospect of catching passes from star signal-caller Patrick Mahomes. |
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Jody Fortson Jody Fortson Tendered by Kansas City
Fri, Mar 18, 2022, 1:51 PM
Kansas City tendered Fortson (Achilles), an exclusive rights free agent, Friday, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.
Analysis: Fortson caught five passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns across six games during the 2021 campaign before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury during the Chiefs' Week 6 win over Washington. He's expected to be ready by the start of the 2022 season, so he'll have a chance to build off his solid start in 2021. |
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Derrick Gore Derrick Gore Gets ERFA tender
Wed, Mar 16, 2022, 10:33 AM
The Chiefs are tendering Gore as an exclusive rights free agent, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.
Analysis: Gore thus figures to compete for a backup role with the Chiefs this summer, after taking 51 carries for 256 yards (5.0 YPC) and two touchdowns in 11 games last season. He also caught eight of nine targets for 105 yards, and avoided any fumbles, showing well in limited action behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams (the latter of whom is set to become a free agent). However, it's hard to see much upside for Gore, a 2019 UDFA who turned 27 late in the 2021 campaign. |
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Michael Burton Michael Burton Remaining in Kansas City
Mon, Mar 14, 2022, 8:17 PM
Burton re-signed with Kansas City on Monday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Analysis: Burton spent the 2021 season with the Chiefs, and he earned the majority of his playing time on special teams. That should remain the case in 2022, though he did rush the ball eight times for 26 yards while also tallying the first rushing touchdown of his career last season. |
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Darrel Williams Darrel Williams Set to test free agency
Mon, Mar 14, 2022, 10:30 AM
Williams is slated to test the free-agent market, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.
Analysis: Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Chiefs tried to re-sign Williams -- who worked in tandem with Clyde Edwards-Helaire last season -- ahead of the opening of free agency. With no deal arrived at, the 26-year-old, who led the team with 558 rushing yards (on 144 carries) and added 47 catches for 452 yards and eight total TDs in 17 games in 2021, now is on track have a chance to field offers from other teams looking for backfield help. |
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Tyreek Hill Tyreek Hill Could land extension
Fri, Mar 4, 2022, 3:51 PM
The Chiefs and Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have reportedly exchanged contract proposals this week, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.
Analysis: With Hill -- who is slated to count $20.685 million against the salary cap in 2022 -- approaching the final season of a three-year extension he signed in 2019, the two sides seem amenable to crafting a deal to keep the wideout in Kansas City for the long term. Moreover, the report notes that an extension for Hill would likely feature a structure aimed at lowering his cap hit this year, which would help the team's ability to bolster an offensive nucleus that currently also includes franchise QB Patrick Mahomes and star TE Travis Kelce. |
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Justin Watson Justin Watson Signs with Kansas City
Fri, Feb 4, 2022, 3:52 PM
Watson signed a contract with the Chiefs on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Watson underwent knee surgery in July, which cost him the start of the 2021 campaign. He was activated off the PUP list at the end of December and played 19 special team snaps against the Panthers in Week 16. However, he suffered a quadriceps injury during the contest that sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. Watson was then waived and rejoined the Buccaneers' practice squad in the middle of January. The 2018 fifth-round pick has caught 23 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns in 40 appearances across four NFL seasons -- all with Tampa Bay. |
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Josh Gordon Josh Gordon Sticking with Kansas City
Wed, Feb 2, 2022, 3:46 PM
Kansas City signed Gordon to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Gordon joined Kansas City's practice squad in late September after being reinstated from his indefinite suspension, and he spent most of the season on the active roster. However, he secured just five of 14 targets for 32 yards and a touchdown across 12 regular-season appearances. The 30-year-old will attempt to carve out a larger role in the system during the offseason. |
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire Clyde Edwards-Helaire Just seven touches in playoff loss
Sun, Jan 30, 2022, 7:14 PM
Edwards-Helaire rushed six times for 36 yards and added a four-yard catch on two targets in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.
Analysis: Edwards-Helaire worked in a change-of-pace role behind Jerick McKinnon, who totaled 95 yards on 15 touches. McKinnon will be a free agent this offseason, but Edwards-Helaire -- who was selected in the first round of the 2020 draft -- has been unable to grab the leading role in Kansas City's backfield by the horns over his first two seasons. Given Edwards-Helaire's modest production, the Chiefs likely will bring in competition for touches this offseason, either by re-signing McKinnon or adding an alternative option via free agency or the draft. |
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