Chiefs add fourth tight end during 53-man roster cuts via low-cost trade with Cowboys

The Kansas City Chiefs love the tight end position, and it appears they're set to carry four of them on the 53-man roster to start the season .

According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Chiefs have sent a late-round conditional pick to the Dallas Cowboys for TE Peyton Hendershot, who they had planned to release.

Hendershot, listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, is a former undrafted free agent out of the University of Indiana in 2022. He's appeared in 25 career games with Dallas during that span, recording 15 receptions for 141 yards and two scores. He suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season that saw him land on injured reserve until December when he rejoined the team.

During his time with the Cowboys, Hendershot was inconsistent as a receiver and route runner, but he has proven to be a playmaker on special teams.

This is a bit surprising for Kansas City given that the Chiefs simply don't have a strong blocking tight end outside of Noah Gray and Travis Kelce, who both excel in the passing game. Hendershot isn't the strongest blocker, which was one of the reasons he was viewed as a cut candidate for the Cowboys before this offseason even truly got underway. His inconsistency as a pass-catcher last season made him expendable in a young tight end room.

This truly feels like a decision made with three goals in mind. 1. This can allow for a slower development path for rookie TE Jared Wiley. 2. It's also insurance for Gray, who is set to become a free agent in 2025. Hendershot is a solid TE3 in the Chiefs' system and he's still under team control for the next two seasons (2024 and 2025). Finally, it gives Dave Toub another weapon on special teams. He has over 400 career special teams snaps under his belt and plenty of standout moments in that phase of the game.

As for the trade compensation, I'm told it's a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick. Hendershot needs to be on the Chiefs' 53-man roster for at least five games OR on the 46-man active gameday roster for at least three days for the Cowboys to receive the pick.

Related: Chiefs to cut inconsistent wide receiver, punting on their 2022 trade reclamation project