It's about that time of year for the Kansas City Chiefs to start thinking about roster cuts with the second preseason game coming on Friday night against the Seattle Seahawks. This will be one of the more interesting cutdown periods in recent memory, as general manager Brett Veach has done a tremendous job of finding depth pieces.
That makes these situations difficult, however, and some valuable players will have to be let go. The surprise Thursday news that Rashee Rice is likely to play the first four games of the regular season prior to his disciplinary hearing on September 30 turned heads, and that's one fewer roster spot that'll be available.
Even still, there's one ex-Chiefs tight end who could still return to the roster this preseason thanks to an extended injury.
Mahomes to Jake Briningstool - who has worked with the first team often today pic.twitter.com/guQysgFRHJ
— Nick Roesch (@Nicolas_Roesch) July 23, 2025
Chiefs TE Jake Briningstool's Injury Could Lead to Peyton Hendershot Return
Undrafted rookie tight end Jake Briningstool, who impressed early in the summer and has even earned first-team reps, has unfortunately been dealing with an injury. Looking at the tight end landscape, it's unlikely that Kansas City keeps four, though it is still possible.
That allows current free agent Peyton Hendershot an opportunity to return. He played in seven games for the Chiefs in 2024, catching just five passes for 51 yards. Regardless, Hendershot knows the system and has familiarity with the locker room, perhaps giving him an edge.
Travis Kelce and Noah Gray are obvious locks to make the roster. 2024 fourth-round pick Jared Wiley and veteran Robert Tonyan are in the mix, likely indicating that Hendershot wouldn't make the final roster. Either way, he could be brought in to replace Briningstool's potential snaps in the final preseason game.
Hendershot isn't working at the moment anyway, so it wouldn't represent a significant investment on either side. The 26-year-old tight end is more of a blocking enforcer than true pass-catching weapon, though there's a place for someone like that on the practice squad at the very least.
Even if he doesn't make the 53-man group, don't be surprised to see Hendershot pop back up at practice within the next couple of weeks.