Deon Yelder, tight end, San Antonio Brahmas
These days, the Chiefs tight end room feels like a familiar core of players who have been around for forever but that’s not quite the case. While it seems like Jody Fortson, Noah Gray, and Blake Bell have been backing up Travis Kelce for quite some time, it actually wasn’t all that long ago that someone like Deon Yelder was a key player in two tight end sets.
Yelder originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints back in 2018 after wrapping up his career at Western Kentucky. The former basketball player tried his hand at tight end on the gridiron and the results were enticing enough that even after the Saints waived him during his rookie campaign, the Chiefs came calling with an offer to join their roster that same season.
From there, Yelder grew into a larger role with the Chiefs over the course of three seasons. From one offensive snap in three total games his rookie year to 20 percent of offensive snaps in 14 total games in 2020, his third season in the league, Yelder never became anything more than a rarely used target but he was at least that much more familiar to fans. Unfortunately for Yelder, he only caught 10 passes in three seasons and was ultimately allowed to leave in free agency.
After leaving Kansas City, Yelder has earned several opportunities with teams since 2020, including the Commanders and Cardinals, the Titans and Giants. The latest has come courtesy of the XFL’s Brahmas where it’s clear that Yelder’s ceiling has been reached. He only has 10 catches for 50 yards on the season and other tight ends have clearly outperformed him during the XFL season.
It’s neat to see Yelder still doing his thing, but it looks like he might have a tough time opening any more doors in the NFL.