Blake Bell staying with Chiefs on one-year deal, according to a report

Mar 24, 2023 - 5:00 PM

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On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs continued to piece together their 2023 roster by re-signing tight end Blake Bell, who had been an unrestricted free agent.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report the news.

Bell, 31, was a member of the Chiefs’ 2019 Super Bowl-winning club before spending the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys. After one year in Dallas, Bell re-joined Kansas City, where he has spent the last two seasons on a pair of one-year deals.

The 2022 regular-season campaign was disappointing for Bell, who stayed on injured reserve for most of the year after suffering a preseason hip injury that required surgery. Bell returned to the lineup in Week 15, finishing the year with two catches for 20 yards. Bell had a 4-yard catch in the Divisional Round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars before being inactive for Kansas City’s next two playoff games.

Both the injury and the development of 2021 fifth-rounder Noah Gray led to a diminished role for Bell in 2022, but this is a sign that head coach Andy Reid likes the idea of having four tight ends on the roster. Gray, Bell and Jody Fortson complete a room led by tight end Travis Kelce, who most consider the league’s best at the position.

Bell’s deal is likely to be another veteran salary benefit (VSB) contract, which helps Kansas City better manage its salary cap situation.