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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 23: Cornerback Ja'Quan Sheppard #46 of the Las Vegas Raiders and tight end Mason Pline #89 of the San Francisco 49ers vie for the ball during the second half of a preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 23, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Louis Grasse/Getty Images)

Former San Francisco 49ers tight end Mason Pline is getting another NFL opportunity, this time with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs signed Pline after he tried out for the team during minicamp, according to Wednesday’s NFL transaction report. Kansas City had an open roster spot after trading offensive tackle Wanya Morris to the Atlanta Falcons, so the Chiefs did not need a corresponding move to add Pline.

For 49ers fans, this is a familiar developmental name resurfacing in a notable spot. Pline originally signed with San Francisco after going undrafted in 2024 and spent that season on the 49ers’ practice squad before the New Orleans Saints claimed him off waivers in August 2025.

Now, he joins a Chiefs tight end room still headlined by Travis Kelce, with Noah Gray and Jared Wiley also ahead of him in the pecking order. This is not a move that threatens Kelce’s role. It is, however, another sign Kansas City is keeping the bottom of the tight end room competitive behind a future Hall of Famer who is returning for his 14th NFL season.

Mason Pline Gives Chiefs Another Big Developmental Tight End

Pline’s appeal has always been easy to see on paper.

He is listed at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds by Furman, where he finished his college career after beginning at Ferris State. His background is unusual: Furman’s official bio notes that Pline played basketball at Ferris State before switching to football, then was part of two Division II national championship teams with the Bulldogs.

That basketball background is part of what makes him interesting as a tight end project. Players with that profile are often viewed as red-zone or contested-catch possibilities because of their size, body control and rebounding background. Pline is not a polished NFL contributor yet, but teams do not usually sign June tryout players because they are finished products. They sign them because the physical traits are worth taking into training camp.

Pline’s lone season at Furman gave teams some production to evaluate. The Saints’ team site noted after claiming him in 2025 that Pline caught 32 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games with the Paladins, with his four receiving touchdowns leading the team.

That was enough for the 49ers to take a flier on him after the 2024 draft. It was not enough for him to stick long-term in San Francisco, but landing with Kansas City keeps him in the league’s developmental pipeline.

Chiefs Are Still Sorting Out Life Behind Travis Kelce

Pline is not being brought in as Kelce’s replacement. Kelce remains the defining player in Kansas City’s tight end room, while Gray has been the more established complementary option and Wiley gives the Chiefs a younger drafted player to develop. ESPN’s current Chiefs depth chart lists Kelce, Gray, Wiley and Jake Briningstool among Kansas City’s tight ends.

But the Chiefs have reason to keep adding bodies at the position. Kelce’s return gives Kansas City another season with Patrick Mahomes’ most trusted target, but every rep behind him matters during camp. Gray’s value comes from reliability and two-tight end utility. Wiley’s value is tied to growth. Pline’s path is more specific: show enough as a blocker, special-teams option and size target to justify a longer look.

That makes this signing more meaningful than a simple roster fill-in, even if Pline is still a long shot to make the 53-man roster.

Kansas City also hosted Pline and veteran tight end Kenny Yeboah for tryouts during mandatory minicamp, according to A to Z Sports, which framed the workouts as a sign the Chiefs were still evaluating their depth at the position.

Pline apparently did enough in that setting to earn a contract.

49ers’ Former Practice Squad TE Gets Another Chance

For San Francisco, Pline’s move is mostly a reminder of how fluid the back end of NFL rosters can be.

The 49ers have long been willing to develop undrafted players, especially at positions where traits can be molded over time. Pline fit that mold as a massive tight end with limited high-level football experience and a multi-sport background. He was never close to being a central piece in San Francisco’s offense, but spending a season in the 49ers’ program likely helped keep him on the radar elsewhere.

The Saints gave him the next look after claiming him from the 49ers. Now the Chiefs are doing the same.

That does not guarantee a regular-season role, and Pline has not appeared in an NFL game. But for a former undrafted free agent who only fully committed to football late in his college career, staying in the league into another training camp is significant.

The Chiefs’ roster spot gives Pline a straightforward challenge: prove he is more than a camp body before Kansas City trims its roster. His size gives him a reason to be evaluated. His special-teams value and blocking progress will likely determine whether he has a realistic chance to stay.

For 49ers fans, the bigger takeaway is simple. One of San Francisco’s former developmental tight ends has found a new landing spot with the NFL’s most high-profile tight end room, and with Kelce still in place, Pline will get a close look at the standard every young Chiefs tight end is chasing.