KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the ball back in his hands, Jody Fortson, while in midair, made sure to look down. Fortson, the Chiefs’ uber-skillful tight end, landed on the turf inside Arrowhead Stadium with both of his feet just inside the end zone.

Next was a sound Fortson hadn’t heard in almost a year, the roaring ovation from fans who celebrated his 5-yard touchdown reception, the first of two highlights he produced Saturday in the Chiefs’ preseason victory over the Washington Commanders. After the play, Fortson tilted his head upward to make eye contact with nearby fans before dancing to demonstrate his joy.

Saturday’s exhibition, in many aspects, was similar to the Chiefs’ preseason opener against the Chicago Bears — the starters performed well, several rookies had encouraging snaps and the team exited without a major injury. The biggest difference, which coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy agreed on, was that Saturday’s game, in essence, served as Fortson’s welcome back party.

In his first game since recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon, Fortson re-established his value within the Chiefs’ revamped offense as another weapon for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Fortson finished with a team-high tying four receptions for 19 yards, including two touchdowns. His first TD showcased many of his impressive athletic traits — speed, quickness, leaping ability, balance and ball skills — and the lower-body strength he regained, and, he believes, enhanced during his seven-month rehab.

“I’m so glad that (my) support system — the team, the athletic trainers and the coaches — never really let me get too down on myself,” Fortson said, while smiling, after Saturday’s game. “It just feels awesome to get back out here — especially in front of Arrowhead, in front of the best fans — and score.”

At this time a year ago, Fortson, who entered the NFL in 2019 as an undrafted receiver from Valdosta State, was on the verge of earning a spot on the Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster. After spending the previous seasons on the practice squad, Fortson accomplished his mission — and within weeks became one of Mahomes’ best secondary options inside the red zone. He scored two touchdowns and caught each of his five targets for 47 receiving yards through the first six weeks of the regular season.

But in October, against the same opponent (Washington) as on Saturday, Fortson’s season ended when he felt and heard his left Achilles tendon pop, a non-contact injury. On a play in the third quarter, Fortson attempted to plant his feet and push off to begin his route. But he immediately fell to the turf in pain.

Just before he was carted off the field, Fortson received pats on the helmet and an encouraging message from Mahomes and star tight end Travis Kelce: “It gets greater later.”

The day after his injury, Fortson wrote those exact words in an Instagram post that included a pregame photo of the back of his jersey. His next objective began that day, as he finished the post by writing expectations for himself following the most significant injury in his four-year career:

“He’s one of the hardest workers I know,” Kelce said. “He’s relentless.”

“The return WILL be legendary.”