The Miami Dolphins were right to try out another former offensive weapon of the Kansas City Chiefs this year after the success of their last go-around. However, things did not work out as well this time as the Dolphins have decided to release tight end Jody Fortson on eve of the NFL's active roster cuts deadline.
The league is demanding that every NFL franchise pares down the offseason roster from 90 to 53 by Thursday, which means there will be several familiar faces let go by various teams around the NFL for Chiefs Kingdom. Fortson is just the latest as Miami decides to move forward with others at tight end.
The Dolphins first added Fortson to the roster this offseason to see if they could strike gold with another former Chiefs pass-catcher after enjoying their side of the Tyreek Hill trade. However, the Fins have decided to lean on Jonnu Smith and Durham Smythe at the position instead.
Fortson came to the NFL as a former Valdosta State wideout turned tight end due to his size. The Chiefs signed him in 2019 as a rookie free agent and stuck around on the practice squad for his first two seasons in the NFL. He climbed the depth chart in 2021 to make the active roster and appeared in 19 total games over 2021-22 seasons with 14 catches and 155 yards to show for his efforts.
Unfortunately, injuries always got in the way of Fortson ever making himself a common sight in the end zone, where his size and hands would have made him a natural weapon, and the Chiefs decided against bringing him back again after another injury-plagued season in 2023.
Given his Super Bowl experience, Fortson should have a decent chance to catch on with another franchise at some point. If not, however, he's already enjoyed a much longer career than most ever would have expected from such a longshot signing in the first place—one with three rings to show for it.