Former Chiefs Fan Favorite Makes Career Announcement
The Kansas City Chiefs are locked in on their upcoming matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t mince words about the team’s upcoming road trip to Highmark Stadium.
“I mean, they don’t like us,” Mahomes told reporters of Bills fans. “That’s pretty obvious. They do not like the Chiefs. But I mean, it is a cool environment. I love playing in, like, historic stadiums, and that stadium has had so many great players play in it. And who knows, it might be the last time that we get that opportunity to play there.”
While Kansas City prepares to take on Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Co. in enemy territory, former Chiefs tight end Jody Fortson made a career announcement on Thursday, October 30.
Fortson initially joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Despite minimal playing time, he became a fan favorite. After two years on the practice squad, he joined the active roster in 2021. Between 2021 and 2022, he appeared in 21 games, recording 14 receptions for 155 yards and four touchdowns. He missed the entirety of the 2023 NFL season after he suffered a shoulder injury in training camp.
He briefly left for a short stint with the Miami Dolphins but returned before the 2024 season. Unfortunately, Fortson, 29, suffered a heartbreaking season-ending injury in Week 8.
Former Chiefs TE Jordon Fortson Is ‘Fully Cleared,’ Ready to Sign
GettyChiefs tight end ody Fortson at Allegiant Stadium on October 27, 2024.
Nearly a year to the day that Fortson suffered a devastating right leg injury against the Las Vegas Raiders, the three-time Super Bowl champ is ready to make a comeback.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced, “Fortson, who tore his ACL and meniscus last year trying to recover an on-sides kick, has been fully cleared and is ready to sign with a team, per his agents @KatzBrosSports.”
To say Chiefs Kingdom was excited would be an understatement. One fan commented, “Come back to KC.” One man posted, “CHIEFS PLEASEEE.” Another fan wrote, “🚨 OLD FRIEND ALERT @Chiefs 🚨.”
The Chiefs are in the business of bringing back familiar faces, as they re-signed nose tackle Mike Pennel yesterday. To make room for Pennel, Kansas City released defensive end Malik Herring.
Jody Fortson Called Chiefs TE Travis Kelce His ‘Favorite Player on Any Level’
GettyChiefs tight end Travis Kelce with former teammate Jody Fortson (L) at SoFi Stadium on November 20, 2022.
It’s safe to assume Fortson would love to return Kansas City, especially to reunite with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, whom the 29-year-old considers a close mentor
“Travis Kelce is my favorite teammate of all time on any level — Pop Warner, high school, college,” Fortson told reporters in March 2024. “Not only because he took his time trying to like teach me the role of being a tight end, but just because of how a great person he is. He didn’t have to… He just showed unconditional love and knowledge for the game.”
The Valdosta State alum offered his mentor the highest praise possible. “Being in a room with Kelce, it probably, not probably, it definitely set me forward light years of where I would have been had I not had arguably the greatest of all time in that room. Being able to learn and see how he’s attacking different routes, and why he views coverage like this… you’re not able to get that unless you’re with somebody who knows that.”
With Kelce, he learned to slow his game down and have patience. Fortson called working with the future Hall of Famer an “extraordinary blessing.”
Dan Campbell’s brutally honest assessment of Lions should scare rest of NFL
The Detroit Lions have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season. Even after losing both of their coordinators this offseason, Detroit seemingly hasn't lost a step. They come out of their bye week with a 5-2 record, scoring key wins against some of the top contenders in the process.
If the Lions are to be believed, they still aren't playing to their full potential. Head coach Dan Campbell believes that Detroit still has another gear this season. The Lions HC said that they could stand to be better at playing complementary football over the course of the season.
“I really believe we haven't played our best ball yet collectively in all three phases,” Campbell said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “And that's really what we're trying to get to here is how can we sharpen ourselves. We know it's going to take every phase. Every game's different, and one unit may have to pick up the slack, but we need to start playing complete ball across the board. And just keep improving — like with all these teams that we're in the race with right now. So, that's where we're at.”
The Lions have highlighted four key areas for improvement during their bye week. That includes their third-down efficiency on both sides of the ball. Detroit is ranked 22nd in third-down conversion rate this season with just 37.7%, far below their 47% rate last season. On the other side, they're allowing a similar third-down conversion rate on defense, which is higher than their 32.5% rate last year.
The two other areas that the Lions focused on during the bye week are their red zone defense and Jameson Williams' involvement on offense. While Detroit's defense has been generally solid this season, it's allowing a whopping 63.6% of its opponents' red zone trips to end in a touchdown. On the other hand, Williams has had an up-and-down season thanks in large part to his fluctuating target rate. Detroit's offense is at its best when the threat of Jamo downfield opens up the rest of the offense. Finding ways to get him in space is going to be crucial for this team moving forward.
The Lions open the second half of their season with a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at home. Will Detroit apply what they've installed during the bye week in their next games?
