Chiefs make surprising trade for Cowboys tight end before NFL roster cuts deadline

The Chiefs made a trade before the deadline for a... tight end?

The Kansas City Chiefs have already surprised their fans with a couple of key imports to the active roster in the last 48 hours, and even more potential moves were expected if addressing a key position like running back or perhaps defensive tackle. But on Tuesday, the Chiefs pulled off another trade with a deal for tight end Peyton Hendershot of the Dallas Cowboys.

NFL reporter Tom Pelissero broke the news that the Cowboys were sending Hendershot, a veteran tight end, to K.C. in exchange for a conditional late-round draft pick.

The trade comes as a surprise because the Chiefs were already rolling into roster cuts with three tight ends ready for the active roster in Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, and Jared Wiley. The team even cut veteran Irv Smith before roster cuts were due to pare down to those three. Adding a fourth comes as a bit of a shock, then, since that roster configuration isn't typical for the Chiefs.

The trade for Hendershot isn't surprising from the Dallas Cowboys' side. While he's played in 25 games for the Cowboys in the last two seasons, he'd been passed on the team's depth chart to the point where he was an obvious cut coming into the 2024 season. Therefore, Jerry Jones will be glad to get something in return for losing him.

For the Chiefs, however, Hendershot comes to the offense as an experienced blocker who can fill the Blake Bell role with the potential for more. Cowboys expert Jerry Trotta from The Landry Hat told us, 'He's tough as nails as a run-blocker and offers sneaky athleticism as a pass-catcher. He will drop the occasional pass but he's a serviceable TE2. Can also play on special teams."

It's quite possible this also implies something of Jared Wiley's readiness for the NFL as a rookie. The team's fourth-round pick out of TCU looked good in rookie minicamp but he disappeared as the preseason went on.

Hendershot, a former undrafted free agent from Indiana, had 14 catches for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns in the last two seasons for the Cowboys.