The Kansas City Chiefs used the 2026 NFL Draft to add to their roster, but also tapped into the undrafted free agent pool to make signings. Kansas City agreed to terms with Wyoming tight end John Michael Gyllenborg on a three-year, $3.12 million deal that featured a $20,000 signing bonus and $267,500 guaranteed at signing.
It was a testament to how much they wanted him to join the roster, and when speaking to the media after Day 2 of rookie minicamp, Gyllenborg's comments confirmed it.
"The offense loves tight ends. They wanted me really bad. Obviously, I wanted to be here," per Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.
The fact that in his first comments to the media, Gyllenborg validated that the Chiefs were in high pursuit of him. And that clearly indicates how the front office felt about the rest of the tight end room.
John Michael Gyllenborg 1st Comments Show How Badly Chiefs Wanted Him
Travis Kelce is back for his 14th season, and Noah Gray is the team's TE2. But after that, everything is up for grabs. Kansas City has Tre Watson, Jared Wiley, and Jake Briningstool as the other three players in that room, yet none of them have shown anything to make the team have confidence in them.
Watson, Wiley, and Briningstool have combined for two catches and 11 yards in the NFL. That's clearly not good enough, which gives Gyllenborg the runway to make an impact and carve out a role for himself.
The 23-year-old is a Missouri native, so playing in his hometown state is a bonus and will give him an extra push. But more importantly, he has very appealing tools. Gyllenborg's RAS (Relative Athletic Score) is 9.92, which is 12th among 1356 tight ends between 1987 and 2026.
Of course, that isn't the end-all, be-all, but he shows he has the athleticism to be a real weapon in the league with proper coaching. Gyllenborg is a pass catcher who will immediately make plays in the seam and provide some juice after the catch. Over 43 games with Wyoming, he had 80 catches, 1,023 receiving yards, 12.8 yards per reception, and seven touchdowns.
There are areas where he needs to improve, including contested-catch situations and trouble dropping balls. Regardless, the tools are there for the Chiefs to work with. He also has size, standing at 6'5" and 250 pounds.
Gyllenborg needs to come out strong in offseason programs, but there's reason for optimism. The team clearly made him a priority signing after the draft, showing how they feel about the collection of players in that room. There's an opportunity for Gyllenborg to push someone off the roster, but it will be in his control to do so after KC extended its hand
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