With only one game remaining for the Kansas City Chiefs this season, the upcoming visit to Las Vegas to face the Raiders marks an important pivot point toward the 2026 season. Younger prospects are likely going to receive more playing time than they've had all year, which should give coaches and the front office a prime opportunity to evaluate contributors going forward.
All of this brings tight end Jake Briningstool into focus. Briningstool is presently positioned within a special 21-day window coming off of injured reserve, along with veteran defensive back Nazeeh Johnson. Both players were stashed on IR to start the year, but were recently activated in order to return to practice. That allowed the Chiefs to watch them in practice, assess their readiness to return, and then give them an active roster spot (or send them back to IR for the rest of the season).
While Johnson is a bit of a lost cause, a fourth-year defender ready to hit free agency, Briningstool is an intriguing prospect for the Chiefs rounding the bend toward '26.
The former Clemson Tiger signed with Kansas City as a rookie free agent, and the move drew immediate applause from draft analysts who were deeply embedded in the 2025 draft class's finer points. The Chiefs lured him in with a $30,000 signing bonus and over $230K in guaranteed money—almost exactly the amount of guarantees provided to seventh-round picks like running back Brashard Smith.
A late-season look at Jake Briningstool could quietly shape the Chiefs’ tight end plans as the franchise turns its full attention to 2026.
In the face of such an arduous season, it'd be easy for Chiefs Kingdom to forget the hype around Briningstool's spring and summer with the Chiefs. At Clemson, Briningstool set the school record for 127 receptions for a tight end, and scouting reports profiled him as a seasoned target with pro-ready hands.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Briningstool as his No. 10 overall tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft class and gave him a fifth-round grade in terms of projected selection. "Overall, Briningstool is a tall, lean athlete who understands how to maximize his catch radius and offers enough competitiveness as a blocker to fight for playing time once on an NFL roster."
Lance Zierlein from the National Football League's official draft site predicted that Briningstool would find himself selected in the fifth or sixth rounds with a pro comparison to former Tennessee Titans fifth-round pick Josh Whyle. Whyle lasted two seasons in Nashville and now plays for the Green Bay Packers in his third NFL season.
Briningstool showed off those hands at rookie mini-camp with reports of sensational catches overall and a notable end zone presence that elevated him above his peers. That made him a favorite to potentially match the achievements of Justyn Ross, another former Tiger who made the Chiefs roster as an undrafted free agent.
Bleacher Report's Dame Parson had a much higher opinion of Briningstool and ranked him as the No. 6 overall tight end in his class—good for a third-round prediction. Parson compared him to Mike Gesicki and wrote, "Putting him in the slot and outside as a flex weapon is the best for his development."
Unfortunately, Briningstool came up injured early in training camp and the Chiefs never got a long look when it mattered most. And while Briningstool likely wouldn't have made such a difference in-season for the Chiefs, his potential still matters quite a bit going forward.
Travis Kelce might be retiring. Noah Gray is entering his final season. Jared Wiley remains a non-dependable variable, and Robert Tonyan is set for free agency. The opportunity is clearly there for someone to step up for the Chiefs in 2026, which is why the team is often tied to the top tight ends in the '26 draft class in early mocks.
If Briningstool is activated before the Raiders game, Briningstool might be able to generate some late-season momentum heading into an important offseason at the position. The value play for Briningstool and the Chiefs was focused on '26 all along. Perhaps that's still possible, even after spending most of the year on injured reserve.