Kansas City Chiefs seek more production from tight ends

Chiefs tight ends produced just 53 receptions for five touchdowns in 2013, and Sean McGrath, who had nearly half of them with 26 for 302 of the unit’s 541 yards, is contemplating not returning this year.

But offensive coordinator Doug Pederson is confident in his group, which includes Anthony Fasano, Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris and Richard Gordon. Kelce, who was injured, and Harris, who was on the practice squad, did not appear in a game as rookies last year.

“It’s an athletic group,” Pederson said. “We’ve got guys now with Travis being back and the emergence of Demetrius Harris, and Richard Gordon’s in the mix. These guys compete and give us that explosiveness and allow us to do more two and three tight end sets.”

Kelce didn’t play a single offensive snap for the Chiefs last season, but he insists it wasn’t a wasted year.

“I feel more advanced than a rookie,” said Kelce, a third-round selection in 2013 who had micro-fracture knee surgery last season. “Last year, I stayed the entire season around here. I didn’t go away during the season. I was in every single meeting, every single install. So, I definitely felt like I went through the season with them last year. I just wasn’t technically a part of it, because I couldn’t be on the field.”

As painful as the knee injury was, Kelce said it was equally painful, albeit in a different way, watching the Chiefs start the season 9-0 and eventually reach the playoffs without him.

“They definitely had some fun,” Kelce said. “Those first nine weeks were hard to watch.”

This story was originally published July 25, 2014 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Kansas City Chiefs seek more production from tight ends."