Chiefs UDFA who made strong first impression early during training camp has returned from injury after long layoff
He’s missed a lot of valuable time.
Although he signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, tight end Jake Briningstool entered training camp with a lot of hype.
Many were surprised that no team selected Briningstool during the 2025 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-6 and 241 pounds, he has the physical traits teams like in a tight end. During his final three years at Clemson, Briningstool recorded 124 receptions (a school record) for 1,313 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He impressed during offseason OTAs and minicamp, and carried that momentum into training camp. Briningstool put his athleticism on display, and even got some run with the first-team offense.
Unfortunately, Briningstool injured his hamstring just days into camp, and has been out several weeks ever since. Not only has he missed valuable practice time, but he was unable to participate in the Chiefs’ first two preseason games. However, Briningstool finally returned to practice on Monday (H/T Matt Foster).
That could mean Bringingstool will be able to play in Kansas City’s preseason finale against the Chicago Bears on Friday, but that will come more into focus the closer we get to gameday. Hamstring injuries can be tricky to return from, so the team may opt to take things slow with the rookie.
It would certainly be huge to Briningstool to get some live game action under his belt. The Chiefs appear set with their top three TEs being Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, and Robert Tonyan. If they decide to keep a fourth, it seems likely that second-year man Jared Wiley would get the nod.
Given that, K.C. could place Briningstool on the practice squad, or on season-ending injured reserve. There’s an element of risk putting him on the practice squad as another team could poach him. Stashing him on IR would give Briningstool a year to learn the playbook and come back healthy and ready to make a push for the 53-man roster in 2026.
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