The Kansas City Chiefs have only been at training camp for three days, but have already lost two promising players to season-ending injuries.
The team announced on Tuesday that undrafted rookie tight end John Michael Gyllenborg was headed to injured reserve with a knee injury, ending his season. The team had also lost edge rusher Ethan Downs, testing their depth early.
Chiefs Hit With Another Early Setback
As reporter Charles Goldman of AtoZ Sports noted, Gyllenborg’s injury appeared similar to what Travis Kelce suffered in his rookie season.
“Gyllenborg, meanwhile, suffered what Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters was a knee sprain that was undergoing further testing,” Goldman wrote. “Itâs hard not to feel like Gyllenborgâs situation rhymes with Travis Kelceâs first season in Kansas City. A promising young tight end suffers a knee injury that ends up being more than initially expected. Gyllenborg, a Kansas City local, will likely remain as an injured reserve stash on the roster.”
The Chiefs had already lost Downs, who moved up from the practice squad last season, to his own torn ACL at the first training camp practice on Saturday.
Goldman noted that the Chiefs were already thin at tight end prior to Gyllenborg’s season-ending injury, and now will likely need to bring in some outside help.
“The Chiefs were already thin at tight end before the Gyllenborg injury. They did not make many additions at the position this offseason and had already added a tryout player in Mason Pline,” Goldman wrote.
John Michael Gyllenborg Earned Good Marks Out of College
Though he went undrafted, the 6-foot-5 Gyllenborg had some buzz coming out of college at Wyoming.
NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein noted that he had the potential to be a late-round draft pick, and could grow into a strong depth player for an NFL team.
“An athletic move tight end, Gyllenborg has the traits to be picked on Day 3, even though some inconsistencies show up on tape,” Zierlein wrote. “Gyllenborg has added good muscle on his frame but is more suited for blocking in space than handling in-line action due to a lack of consistent tenacity at the point of attack. He has the potential to attack defenses vertically from the slot but is in dire need of better route-running fundamentals and catch consistency. Gyllenborgâs upside might be worth a swing, but TE3/4 could be his ceiling.”
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