Jody Fortson’s story now faces its toughest chapter yet for K.C. Chiefs

The Jody Fortson story has been a favorite among fans this year for good reason. Even before he was making eye-popping catches in the end zone or sideline during the 2021 regular season, the K.C. Chiefs tight end was already well-loved for the way he forced his way onto the active roster this year after two full years of development under Andy Reid‘s coaching staff.

When it comes to the next chapter of Fortson’s career, however, it’s going to take considerable determination and hard work.

In case you missed it, on Sunday, Chiefs Kingdom saw Fortson at his best before seeing him suffer his worst. In the first half, Fortson streaked down the left sideline on his way to catching an incredible pass from Patrick Mahomes. The way Fortson was able to track the ball in stride with Landon Collins before using his incredible size advantage to go up and over the WFT safety for a basket catch was absurd.

Then came an odd play, a bit later in the same game, on which Fortson wasn’t even touched when coming off the line yet went down with a non-contact injury. Fortson was clearly in pain, and trainers were sent out to cart him off. It wasn’t long before the diagnosis was made known—that Fortson had suffered an Achilles injury.

Jody Fortson’s Achilles tear is going to be his biggest hurdle to date.

Just like that, two years of grit and dedication, of practices and film study, of pushing himself to turn heads in a sea of fellow prospects was placed in jeopardy. And just like that, Fortson now found himself facing his toughest on-field chapter yet.

For any player, a season-ending injury is always a significant hurdle. However, an Achilles injury is even beyond that. For some players, the clear demarcation line of before/after for their professional football career is marked by an Achilles issue.

Chiefs fans don’t have to look far from the current roster or recent players to see examples of what an Achilles injury can do. Eric Fisher suffered an Achilles injury last January in the AFC Championship and it cost him his eight-year starting spot at left tackle. Even now, Fisher is clearly still working his way back even as he’s showing serious struggles through a handful of games for the Indianapolis Colts.

Eric Berry and Derrick Johnson are both recent defensive heroes whose impressive careers were severely altered by Achilles injuries that kept them from even greater heights than the ones they already knew. Wide receiver Chris Conley had a nice trajectory as a young pass catcher for the Chiefs who found himself lost on the depth chart after an Achilles ended his third season prematurely.

For Fortson, the Achilles injury is going to need significant time to heal and then he’s going to have to learn to trust his body again as part of the mental work needed for all athletes who suffer a devastating injury. It’s not an automatic for Chiefs fans to simply project that Fortson will be back and ready to roll for 2022 without skipping a beat.

To date, Fortson is saying all the right things publicly, as he should. We’re certainly glad to see him posting positive sentiments like the one below (and really, what player would post things like “Well, I guess this is it for me given the percentages”?).

https://twitter.com/JodyFortsonJr/status/1450162748646690827

However, we also know that the road ahead is going to be uncertain for Fortson, no matter how attuned he stays with the medical advice he’s given during the process. Fortson has already come this far as a former rookie free agent who made the successful leap from Valdosta State to the NFL. It’s clear his skill set and athleticism allow him to stand out even among elite players in the rare moments he’s been given an opportunity to shine.

Now we can only hope his body allows him to reach the next level. If so, it will be Fortson’s most impressive chapter yet in a story that’s already moved all of us in Chiefs Kingdom.