KC Chiefs’ Jody Fortson cherishes ‘extraordinary’ moment when he caught first career TD
Chiefs tight end Jody Fortson played just six offensive snaps in last Sunday’s 30-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
But he made the most of that playing time by hauling in two catches for 7 yards, including a leaping 2-yard touchdown grab in the end zone from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Five days later, Fortson was still cherishing the moment.
“It’s definitely surreal,” Fortson said Friday. “I would much rather have the win, but to finally get in the end zone very early in my career, it’s extraordinary.”
Fortson’s journey since joining the Chiefs in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State came with a learning curve. He spent the past two seasons on the practice squad, then made a permanent position change from wide receiver to tight end. He stood out in training camp, and the hard work paid off when he made the team’s initial 53-player roster after training camp.
The Chiefs cemented their faith in Fortson in Week 3 by calling his number on a third-and-goal play out of a 13-personnel group (one running back, three tight ends) featuring Fortson, Travis Kelce and Blake Bell all on the field at the same time.
“It means a lot,” Fortson said. “You come to work every day, put your hard hat on and just grind it out for moments like that.”
The inclusion of Fortson into the Chiefs’ tight end group, which boasts Kelce, Bell, Fortson and rookie Noah Gray, has allowed coach Andy Reid, one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL, to become even more creative.
During their preseason finale against the Vikings, the Chiefs unveiled a 14-personnel formation near the goal line and scored a touchdown when Bell hauled in a pass from Mahomes. Now the Chiefs have successfully deployed a 13-personnel look inside the red zone to give upcoming opponents yet another threat to worry about.
“I haven’t had four tight ends like this before,” Reid said Friday. “I’ve had three good ones, but never four, so we try to utilize the talent we have and so we put them out there and let them do some things. They seem to be handling it OK.”
With the Chiefs getting creative with their tight ends, Fortson should have another chance during the season to make an impact on offense like he did last week.
“I’m praying more opportunities like that present itself,” he said, “when they can lean their hat on No. 88 and I can go out there and make a play.”
