Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce will be looking to go one step further this year, so the Kansas City Chiefs understand the need for depth on their roster. With that in mind, they’ve recently added an offensive player the Dallas Cowboys no longer planned to keep around Dak Prescott.
NFL Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday the Chiefs reached an agreement to get tight end Peyton Hendershot from the Cowboys in exchange of a late-round conditional draft pick.
The report adds that Hendershot was expected to be cut by Dallas, so the deal made sense for both parties. While the Cowboys get something in return for a player that wouldn’t be part of Prescott‘s offense anymore, the Chiefs add some necessary depth behind Kelce.
Chiefs preparing for life after Kelce?
Even though the team wishes he could play forever, the truth is Kelce is not getting any younger. With the tight end turning 35 in October, Kansas City knows he may not stay around Mahomes for too long.
And while Hendershot has yet to make an impact in the NFL, his presence on the depth chart might give the team some relief moving forward. In any case, his arrival works as an insurance at the position.
With Kelce’s main backup Noah Gray entering the final year of his rookie deal and fourth-rounder Jared Wiley preparing for his first season in the NFL, Hendershot will secure more competition in the TE room. And since the Chiefs have to think about their plans post-Kelce, this could be the 25-year-old’s opportunity to prove he can be a reliable weapon for Mahomes.
Hendershot’s stats in Prescott’s Cowboys offense
An undrafted free agent out of Indiana in 2022, Hendershot has made 25 appearances with the Cowboys, catching 15 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Hendershot was the third-string TE in his two seasons in Dallas. In his rookie year, he was below Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson in the depth chart, before working behind Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker in 2023.