With 2025 likely being Travis Kelce’s final year, the Chiefs need to find his successor. They have Noah Gray and an undrafted rookie, Jake Briningstool. Last October’s 2024 draft pick, Jared Wiley, tore his ACL but is ahead of schedule with his rehab, making him a viable candidate for playing time this season.
When the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Jared Wiley a year ago, we were surprised he lasted until the fourth round. If you watched him at TCU, you could see a talented athlete with excellent hands, speed to reach the end zone, and a reliable route runner.
Kansas City had high hopes for Wiley last season, but a non-contact injury to his knee resulted in an ACL tear, necessitating extensive rehabilitation. During Mini-camp, Head Coach Andy Reid said he believed Wiley would be ready for training camp.
Now that means he could be a full participant. Reid believes it’s possible, which is good news for the Chiefs.
Wiley didn’t quite stand out on the field for the Chiefs last season. Transitioning from playing college football at TCU to the NFL proved challenging. While an injury sidelined him for a season, he’s competing to make a comeback in 2025.
The Chiefs are likely to keep four tight ends, so Wiley isn’t worried about making the 53-man roster. However, he will face intense competition from Jake Briningstool. The former Clemson star bears a striking resemblance to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. He’ll get a good shot, and if Wiley isn’t at full speed at the start of training camp, he might fall lower on the depth chart.
Kansas City, like all its injured players, won’t allow Wiley to participate in full-contact drills until he’s medically cleared.
The Chiefs’ offense is intricate, but one thing remains certain: the tight end position is essential to their scheme. Reid prefers to rotate his tight ends and deploy them in different formations. He often fields three, sometimes four, tight ends simultaneously. Therefore, they must be versatile in both pass-catching and run-blocking.
Wiley has the size and speed to be a good pass catcher, but he wasn’t asked to block much in college. Once his knee is healthy, he’ll need to improve in that area.
Fortunately, the Chiefs have Noah Gray as Kelce’s primary backup, so Wiley can take his time recovering to NFL speed. Still, he has great potential, and he’ll get every chance to play.
Recovering from a torn ACL is a challenging process. It typically takes 15-18 months for a player to return to full speed and strength. His quick progress might suggest his injury wasn’t severe.
Don’t get me wrong, a torn ACL is a torn ACL, but there are different levels, and with a quick turnaround, he might indeed be ready for training camp. If that’s the case, Wiley deserves credit for rehabbing his knee and sticking with the program.
It also helps that he’s young and at this stage of his career; it’s better to have the injury now than later. If he can push through the injury, he can climb the depth chart and secure playing time.
Wiley is a key piece to the Chiefs’ future offense, and the team was excited that he was available on the third day of the NFL draft. Reid is a master of involving his tight ends in the offense, and with so many weapons at the wide receiver position, a solid group of running backs, the tight ends are an integral part of the overall success of the offense.
That means Wiley, if healthy, could have a significant impact in the second half of the season.
