Jody Fortson Returned in Full Force Against the Commanders
The Kansas City Chiefs had several takeaways from their 24-14 win over the Washington Commanders on Saturday, but one jumped out more than the others: the return of tight end Jody Fortson.
After suffering a ruptured Achilles last September, Fortson landed on the injured reserve list and had to watch from the sidelines as the Chiefs advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game in January. He then continued to work his way back during the offseason and was perfectly on schedule into training camp. A quad injury limited him a bit during camp but the 26-year-old was able to get healthy and made his preseason debut in front of Kansas City's home crowd. Following the contest, head coach Andy Reid spoke about the feel-good story having a happy outcome.
"Coming off his injury, he was in here every day busting his tail to get himself back in good health, rehabbing with our trainers and fighting to get back on the field," Reid said. "It's always good for that story to come out the way it did today."
Fortson didn't simply just get on the field, however. He made a significant impact in the snaps he received, hauling in four passes on five targets for 19 yards. His best catches of all came on a pair of touchdown tosses from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Neither was an easy grab, yet Fortson used his blend of size, catch radius and physicality to make both happen.
Those reps were terrific examples of what could become possible with a full season of a healthy Fortson in the fold for Kansas City. He recorded just five catches for 47 yards in the injury-shortened 2021 campaign, but two of those receptions were for scores. Fortson is quickly making a name for himself as an impactful-play threat, and he's earned the trust of his lead signal-caller. Mahomes admitted it himself when speaking with the media postgame.
"I think what you've seen with Jody is when he's one-on-one and he has a guy behind him, you can kind of give him that chance," Mahomes said. "I've built that trust with him now and I think you saw it two times today where he wasn't necessarily open but when you have a big guy that can catch the ball and make those physical, tough catches, you give him a chance. He makes me look good."
Not many players are truly capable of making the best quarterback in the world look good, but Fortson's ability to make difficult grabs poses a true threat to opposing defenses. He'll make the Chiefs' offense more dynamic this year, even if it's on a part-time basis. Simply being able to get back on the field was a major milestone for the Valdosta State University product. Now that he's in the swing of things once again, he's excited for more. Instead of taking credit himself, Fortson said he owes everything to the Chiefs and their fans.
"It's just a blessing," Fortson said. "I'm honored to be here. I'm so glad [for the] support system, team, athletic trainers and coaches that I've had here — that I still have here — that were in my corner and never let me get too down on myself. It feels awesome to get back out here, especially in front of Arrowhead, in front of the best fans out here, and score."
With one preseason game left to play, it's probable that Kansas City's offensive reserves will see quite a bit of playing time against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. Fortson slots into that group, so there should be additional opportunities for him to make his presence felt on the gridiron before the regular season arrives. Nothing in the remainder of the preseason will beat his return on Saturday, though. Considering what it took for him to get to this point and how much success he was able to have immediately, it's safe to say that the Fortson hype train is back in full force.
