Chiefs' Outlook on Noah Gray Influenced Trade for Peyton Hendershot

Kansas City had two reasons for acquiring Hendershot this week, and one of them had to do with another tight end on the roster.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray (83) against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

When it was announced that the Kansas City Chiefs were cutting Irv Smith Jr. from their roster, many assumed that the club would carry three tight ends on its initial 53-man roster. That didn't last for long, however, as the acquisition of Peyton Hendershot secured the back-to-back champs their fourth option at the position.

Hendershot, a third-year player out of Indiana, was a supporting piece for the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 and 2023. He has 25 regular-season games of experience under his belt, hauling in 15 passes for 141 yards and two scores. None of that applies much to why he was acquired; two other reasons stood out instead.

This week, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach pointed to Hendershot's special teams background as a big selling point. Him occupying those reps helps keep fellow tight end Noah Gray more involved in the offense, which is exactly what Veach wants.

“When you get to the final touches of a 53-man roster, I think you’re looking for special teams," Veach said. "Whether that be – prior to signing Samaje (Perine), we were still looking for running back, tight end, special teams help. I think Hendershot is a guy that has played a ton of special teams reps there so that if you don’t get it all the time from that running back position, you have to get it from somewhere else and we have a good linebacker core. It would be good to do more at that tight end position. It also would be good to take Noah off some of those things. I think Noah continues to get better, and he’s a guy that I think we want to feature a little bit more so knowing that, it’s good to have the ability to take him off of some of those special teams."

Hendershot's snap distribution as a Cowboy was nearly split down the middle in his rookie and sophomore campaigns. He had 457 snaps on offense and another 400 on special teams, averaging over a 50% share for the latter in both years. When available, he was one of the most trusted special teams contributors on the Dallas roster. In Kansas City, he'll be able to do more there than Smith would've, which is music to Dave Toub's ears.

Offensively, the Chiefs are no strangers to using multiple tight ends on offense. They went to 12-personnel (one running back and two tight ends) for 290 plays last season, good for fourth in the league per SumerSports. Their 0.1 EPA per play ranked seventh. Andy Reid and Matt Nagy's 13-personnel usage (78 plays, fifth leaguewide) yielded negative 0.08 EPA/play, yet it still ranked 12th in the sport.

With Gray and rookie Jared Wiley slotting in behind Travis Kelce, the Chiefs have three tight ends who each bring something different to the table. In the event of an injury, Hendershot is a quality blocker and a fluid mover on the field. He'd be suitable in a pinch, but part of bringing him in is so the top three choices each can find their footing. Entering a contract year, Gray is seeking his best season yet.

Can the Hendershot add help him do that? Veach and Kansas City seem to be hoping so, with the special teams boost being icing on the cake.

Read More: Brett Veach on End of Kadarius Toney's Time in KC – 'We're Certainly Disappointed'