Chiefs TE wasn’t supposed to play much in his 1st game with KC. Why that changed

For good reason, Peyton Hendershot figured he was a longshot to get extended snaps for the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night.

The tight end — acquired from Dallas in a preseason trade — was only elevated from the Chiefs’ practice squad to the active roster last week after rookie tight end Jared Wiley tore his ACL in practice.

Hendershot ended up being needed more than expected against Tampa Bay. After getting in for two first-half snaps on offense in the first three quarters, he was in for 11 in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Chiefs leaned into their run game during a 30-24 home victory.

“Me coming in late in the week, we didn’t really have many plays in that personnel package,” Hendershot told The Star. “So it was just crazy that we kept calling it and calling it, and it kept working.”

To be specific: Hendershot was in for five “Power” run plays, a downhill scheme that involves a guard pulling to clear out a path for the running back.

Two of those were successful in particular. Kareem Hunt ran for 13 yards on one instance, then 15 on another — the longest rush by a Chiefs running back all season.

“It just always feels good when you’re coming in and you’re a new variable, and the plays are working,” Hendershot said. “It just feels good that you’re hopefully doing your part to keep this thing going, because they’ve already got a lot of momentum and stuff going. So just don’t want to come in and mess anything up.”

Hendershot, in his third professional season, comes to the Chiefs with the reputation of being a run-blocker and special teams standout. Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said after KC acquired Hendershot, Dallas’ special teams coach John Fassel called him immediately. “You got my guy,” Toub remembers Fassel saying.

“He has good instincts,” Toub said of the tight end. “He helped us in that game.”

On special teams, Hendershot was in for three of the four special-teams phases while flashing some of his physicality. That also showed on run plays, when he was often asked to kick out a Tampa Bay defensive end on the edge.

“I thought I did a solid job. Always can build off of it,” Hendershot said of his Chiefs debut. “But I feel like for a first game, after being out for seven or eight weeks, I feel like I did what I needed to do to help the team win.”

Hendershot also picked up his first reception late in the fourth quarter, catching a pass from Patrick Mahomes in the flat and breaking a tackle before picking up nine.

His first Arrowhead playing experience was memorable, as well. During crunch time, Hendershot said one part stood out most.

“I’ve been in the league only a few years, but you could just feel out there playing between the white lines the brotherhood that they have out there,” Hendershot said. “You can’t explain it, and that’s just the one big thing that I recognize just by being out there about them is that they all play for each other, and it’s really like a family here.”

Coach Andy Reid loves playing tight ends, which means Hendershot should get more opportunities Sunday against Denver and also past that.

Hendershot’s goal? Just continue what he’s done recently.

“Hopefully that’ll just make the coaches trust in me more to hopefully give me more of a role,” Hendershot said. “And show my teammates that they can believe and trust in me too, so I can help make history here.”