Andy Reid Warns Of Devastating Setback For Chiefs’ Rising TE After Frightening Injury Scare That Has Fans Panicking

With NFL training camps in full swing, teams like the Kansas City Chiefs are sorting out who will make their 53-man roster ahead of Week 1. Things like injury situations make that math trickier, and the reigning conference champions have no shortage of developments to keep an eye on.

That applies to both sides of the ball. One player, tight end Jared Wiley, is attempting to work his way back from a torn ACL suffered last November. How’s the second-year man holding up this summer? Well, the answer is complicated.

Jared Wiley’s Latest Development Is Something to Monitor

Speaking to the media following an August 4 practice, head coach Andy Reid gave the latest on Wiley. The news isn’t anything close to a worst-case scenario, although Chiefs fans may be a bit concerned about it. Per Reid, Wiley is nursing some swelling in his surgically-repaired knee.

“Yeah, he’s got a little swelling in there, so we’ve just got to watch that,” Reid said. “We were trying to limit his reps and ease him in, but it would swell up a little bit, so we’re just keeping an eye on him.”

While every update to that point had been positive, this is certainly a situation to monitor. For reference, Reid had a more optimistic tone as recently as July 22.

“Yeah, he’s worked hard and it was good to get him back out there and get his timing back,” Reid said. “So I thought he did a good job. He had the one drop down here but other than that, he did a pretty good job out there.”

The arc of Wiley’s recovery stands out. After all, he started camp without being on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. That served as a tremendous signal for his progress and a massive plus for the Chiefs.

Now, not so much. Sure, it’s important to note that swelling and limited practice reps are pretty commonplace for ACL injuries, especially less than a year removed from surgery. If this lingers, however, it could bleed into Wiley’s preseason. Considering he logged all of 94 offensive snaps as a rookie and is fourth on the club’s first unofficial depth chart, he needs all the experience he can get – in practice or otherwise.

Assessing Chiefs’ Tight End Depth for 2025 Season

Luckily for the Chiefs, they should be fine if their former fourth-round pick isn’t at 100%. In that event, there’s a solid mix of depth both ahead of and behind him in the pecking order.

At the top of the depth chart, Travis Kelce is set to enter his 13th NFL season. All of his years have been with the Chiefs, and he’s a sure-fire Hall of Fame player. With 1,400 career targets under his belt and an underwhelming 2024-25 effort, he’s looking to fight off Father Time this season. The odds are stacked against him, but he’s looking lighter and quicker at this summer’s camp.

If Kelce needs relief, Kansas City has a viable option. Former fifth-rounder Noah Gray had a breakout 2024 season, setting career-highs for receptions (40), yards (437) and touchdowns (5) in his fourth campaign. The Chiefs clearly like having him around, as evidenced by the contract extension he received a year ago.

There’s a pair of noteworthy names on the bottom of the ladder, too. Undrafted rookie free agent Jake Briningstool is intriguing, although he’s been banged up at camp. The player to keep tabs on is Robert Tonyan, an eight-year NFL veteran with 90 regular-season games under his belt.

Should Wiley have a clearer setback or need a bit of time to rest his knee, the Chiefs can manage. If not, this will blow over and mark just another step in a journey back from one of football’s most classic, but complicated, recoveries.