Getty

Travis Kelce was reportedly absent from practice Thursday, a little more than a month out from his wedding to Taylor Swift.

The Kansas City Chiefs surprised a few analysts when they didn’t select a tight end to play alongside, and perhaps eventually succeed, Travis Kelce in April’ draft. Though, the Chiefs did announce the addition of new TE on Wednesday, June 17 following his tryout at minicamp.

Kansas City added Mason Pline, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints, according to a social media report from Nick Jacobs of KSHB41.

Pline joined the league in 2024, catching on in the Bay Area as an undrafted free agent out of Furman. New Orleans claimed the 26-year-old tight end off waivers in August 2025, after which he spent some time on the injured reserve list.

Exclusively a practice squad player over the first two years of his NFL career, Pline has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game. He joins a tight end room headlined by Kelce, which also includes Noah Gray, Jared Wiley and Jake Briningstool ahead of Pline on the depth chart.

The Chiefs did not have to clear out any tight ends Wednesday to make space for Pline. In fact, the team didn’t need to cut anyone on the current offseason roster, as a recent trade opened up a spot for Pline to occupy.

“The Chiefs had a free roster space from the Wanya Morris trade, by the way,” Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports reported on X. “No corresponding move needed.”

Kansas City traded Morris, an offensive tackle, along with a seventh-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a sixth-round selection. The teams made that deal official on Tuesday.

Pline stands at six-feet, seven-inches tall and weighs 260 pounds.

Several Tight Ends Battling for Position on Chiefs’ Depth Chart

GettyKansas City Chiefs tight end Tre Watson.

The tight end room is shaping up to prove one of the more interesting in Kansas City as training camp approaches in July.

Goldman reported last week that tight end Tre Watson, an undrafted rookie in 2025 out of Texas A&M, made some splashes during mandatory minicamp.

“With Travis Kelce absent, plus Jake Briningstool and John Michael Gyllenborg injured, Watson was getting opportunities. Not just backup opportunities, but opportunities with the first-team offense that I would’ve expected to go to Noah Gray or Jared Wiley,” Goldman wrote. “I spoke with two media members who felt he was the top-performing tight end out there. The 6-foot-5 and 250-pound tight end is entering his second year with the team after spending all of 2025 on the practice squad.”

Chiefs Offense May Transition to More Tight End-Heavy Sets in Upcoming Season

GettyKansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

The Chiefs don’t just have the post-Kelce era to think about, which could begin as soon as next spring. The team also has the upcoming campaign and a potential shift in offensive philosophy with which to reckon, and more tight ends could prove a viable part of a new path forward.

Kansas City spent big on running back Kenneth Walker III in free agency after producing one of the least explosive offensive backfields in the 21st century last year. Heavier sets that include two or three tight ends (12 and 13 personnel, respectively) will add extra blockers in front of Walker while still allowing QB Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid to create run-pass conflict for opposing defenses.

The Chiefs may have call to roster several tight ends, and keep even more stashed on the practice squad, which should open up opportunities for players like Pline and Watson if they can show out in camp by displaying a range of blocking and pass-catching skills.