Ricky Seals-Jones Confident in Kansas City Ahead of 53-Man Roster Deadline
By Saturday afternoon, tight end Ricky Seals-Jones will know where he sits on the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs depth chart.
Seals-Jones spent training camp competing with Deon Yelder, Nick Keizer and Daniel Helm to be the first in line behind Travis Kelce. He missed five practices due to a leg injury that occurred August 17, the Chiefs’ third day in pads.
Despite the on-field setback, Seals-Jones said he feels confident in what he was able to prove to head coach Andy Reid, offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, tight ends coach Tom Melvin and general manager Brett Veach during camp.
“I feel like every time I’m out there I'm like ‘hey, you know you don't get many opportunities, so make this one count and then just worry about the next,'” Seals-Jones said in a press conference with reporters. “It's been difficult, you know, not coming in and having OTAs, to get a jump on a playbook and kind of playing catchup, but it is what it is and [I've] just got to hit the ground running.”
Due to COVID-19 precautions, Seals-Jones didn’t have the chance to work on the field with the team until the beginning of training camp.
He had an idea of what to expect from Reid’s offense, but still had a little shock compared to the playbook and pacing he experienced with the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns.
“We go fast,” Seals-Jones said. “When we first started off, it was a hard practice to me and guys are like, ‘oh like this isn’t nothing’ and I'm like, ‘yeah, we probably ran like 150 plays’ and they’re like ‘oh yeah, like that's nothing…’ As fast as we go and how many players we do, it's incredible how they do things here, and I'm glad to be a part of it.”
Seals-Jones signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs in April after a one-year stop with the Cleveland Browns. He caught 14 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns through his stay.
His relieving ability could add another element to the Chiefs’ offense if he's named TE2, especially if he clicks with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He'd get an occasional appearance if he makes the roster as the third tight end.
“I love being here and working with Pat,” Seals-Jones said. “He's a brilliant guy, and I feel like I'm a new guy because everybody else has been here that's playing right now so it's good. He brings me along and if I have questions, he answers him and just goes with the flow.”
Seals-Jones’ immediate fate with the Chiefs will be set in stone by 3 p.m. central Saturday, the league’s deadline to cut the active roster to a maximum of 53 players.
