Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season finds the Kansas City Chiefs with few days of rest for the Black Friday Game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Andy Reid has confirmed that Patrick Mahomes will miss a key teammate, but the coach is also arming his quarterback with a new weapon.
In a series of roster moves on Thursday, Kansas City announced that they’re activating tight end Anthony Firkser from the practice squad. This comes shortly after the Chiefs confirmed Reid and Mahomes are losing another weapon to injury.
On Tuesday, the defending Super Bowl champions placed tight end Peyton Hendershot on Injured Reserve. Firkser’s promotion fills this gap, though it remains to be seen whether Mahomes uses him against the Raiders.
Will Firkser play snaps on Mahomes’ offense?
Hendershot, who stuck around the Chiefs since being traded by the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason, played 36 snaps on offense from Weeks 9 to 12. He’s been more of a special teamer, though.
Tight end Anthony Firkser (86) during the National Anthem prior to a game between the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills on October 6, 2019, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
While Mahomes targeted him once for three consecutive weeks, with Hendershot recording one catch in each of those games, the tight end had a bigger role on special teams, playing 51 snaps on the unit ran by Dave Toub.
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With Travis Kelce and Noah Gray being Mahomes’ favorite tight ends in the 2024 NFL season, chances are Firkser reprises Hendershot’s role on special teams. However, he’s still another pass catcher Mahomes and Reid can count on for certain plays.
Firkser could provide Reid, Mahomes with depth in injury-hit Chiefs’ TE room
Let’s keep in mind the Chiefs have already lost tight ends Jody Fortson and Jared Wiley for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season. With Hendershot out for at least four weeks, Firkser is getting a chance to prove his worth.
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The New Jersey native has so far lacked stability in his NFL career, becoming a journeyman since going undrafted in 2017. In fact, he’s been on Kansas City’s practice squad for a few months during his rookie year.
Firkser found a home in Tennessee for four years, staying with the Titans from 2018 to 2021. But then he bounced around the league, playing for the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, and New York Jets before finding his way back to Arrowhead.