The Kansas City Chiefs didn't take their foot off the gas once they ran out of NFL Draft picks. Instead, Kansas City made aggressive moves to land possible gems among the rookie free agents, like exciting running back Brashard Smith.
Another undrafted weapon KC targeted was tight end Jake Briningstool. The Chiefs paid handsomely for the rights to his services, inking the former Clemson standout to a deal that includes around $230K guaranteed -- a significant investment for a player who didn't even hear their name called in Green Bay.
However, it turns out that sum was born out of necessity.
Chiefs TE Jake Briningstool says that four teams besides K.C. had interest in him and mentioned that it was very appealing to learn from Travis Kelce and others in the TE room: "Being around championship culture, that's really what attracted me the most."
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) May 4, 2025
Speaking with reporters during the team's weekend rookie minicamp, Briningstool revealed he had four other teams interested in adding him following the draft. The tight end didn't mention financials as helping his decision, but instead the opportunity to learn from Travis Kelce and be part of a "championship culture" is what "attracted [him] the most."
This is exactly what Chiefs fans want to hear from a rookie who's already seen a major payday before his NFL career even began. It shows that Briningstool is focused on what really matters in KC, which is winning the Lombardi Trophy.
A player of his talent level likely could've gotten more from another a team if he was financially motivated. Or he could've prioritized going somewhere a path for playing time was much clearer right away than being behind Kelce and Noah Gray, among others.
Instead, Briningstool chose the Chiefs, showing his desire to be part of something bigger than himself and grow as a player after going undrafted. Although the odds may be stacked against him to make the 53-man roster, Briningstool already sounds like has the right priorities to begin his time in KC.