Peyton Hendershot Bio
Peyton Hendershot, born April 23, 1999, is an American professional football tight end who has spent time in the National Football League with the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers and was a 2021 third-team All-Big Ten selection. Standing 6 ft 4 in and listed at 254 lb, he has built his career on reliable hands, run blocking, and special teams play.
Peyton Hendershot
Early Life and Background
Peyton Hendershot was born on April 23, 1999, in Lizton, Indiana. He grew up in the small Hendricks County community that surrounds Tri-West Hendricks High School, where he developed into a multi-sport athlete. The town of Lizton sits in central Indiana, a region that has produced a long line of Big Ten–bound football players, and Hendershot quickly became one of the most productive tight ends in the state during his high school years.
At Tri-West, Hendershot was a two-way player who also starred in basketball. As a sophomore, he helped Tri-West win the 2014 3A state championship. As a junior, he posted 51 receptions for 685 yards and eight touchdowns on offense while adding 30 tackles, four sacks, and three pass breakups on defense. He closed his prep career with 157 catches for 2,170 yards and 22 touchdowns, earning All-county, All-conference, 6A All-state, and Indianapolis Star position award honors at tight end.
Path to American Football
Hendershot’s path to the NFL began with a scholarship offer from Indiana University Bloomington. The Hoosiers gave him a chance to stay close to home, and the Big Ten stage offered the kind of weekly competition that could prepare a young tight end for the next level. His senior season at Tri-West, highlighted by 67 receptions for 896 yards and nine touchdowns, made him a clear fit for a Power Five offense that relied heavily on tight end production.
Off the field, basketball helped round out his game. He averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks as a junior, showing the kind of body control and hand-eye coordination that translates to catching passes in traffic. By the time he enrolled at Indiana, Hendershot was already considered one of the most polished tight end prospects in the Hoosier State.
Peyton Hendershot Career
Early Career (2017–2021)
Hendershot appeared in the first four games of his 2017 true freshman season at Indiana before a season-ending injury led to a medical redshirt. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, he started 10 of 11 games and posted 15 receptions for 163 yards and two touchdowns, sharing duties with Austin Dorris. The experience gave him his first real look at Big Ten defensive schemes and prepared him for a much larger role the following year.
His college profile grew steadily across his next three seasons. As a sophomore in 2019, he set Indiana’s single-season tight end record with 52 catches for 622 yards. As a junior in 2020, injuries limited his production to 23 receptions for 151 yards and four touchdowns. He closed his career as a senior in 2021, starting all 12 games and finishing as the school’s career leader for tight ends with 136 receptions for 1,479 yards and 14 touchdowns.
NFL Breakthrough (2022)
After going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, Hendershot signed with the Dallas Cowboys on April 30, 2022. He made the initial 53-man roster as the third tight end behind Dalton Schultz and fellow rookie Jake Ferguson. In Week 7, he scored his first NFL touchdown on a two-yard reception in a 24–6 victory over the Detroit Lions, a moment that announced his arrival as a depth piece who could be trusted near the goal line.
As a rookie, Hendershot appeared in all 17 games and started two, finishing with 11 receptions for 103 yards, two touchdowns, and three special teams tackles. His reliability on coverage units gave the Cowboys a clear reason to keep him on the active roster, even with Schultz and Ferguson ahead of him on the depth chart.
Kansas City Chiefs Era (2024)
Hendershot was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick on August 27, 2024. He was waived on September 17 and re-signed to the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster on November 2. He appeared in seven games as a backup tight end, recording five receptions for 51 yards while contributing on special teams. He played in all three of Kansas City’s playoff games, gaining valuable postseason experience. He was not re-signed after the season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hendershot’s career is anchored by a handful of signature moments. His first NFL touchdown came against the Detroit Lions in 2022, and his 2019 record-setting season at Indiana established him as one of the most productive tight ends in program history. He finished his college career as Indiana’s all-time leader in receptions and second in receiving touchdowns among tight ends, while also earning third-team All-Big Ten recognition in 2021.
Peyton Hendershot Career Wins
As a tight end, Hendershot’s production is measured in receptions, yards, and touchdowns rather than race wins. He has compiled verified NFL totals of 20 receptions, 192 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns, along with 2 rushing yards, 1 rushing average, and 1 rushing touchdown. His college totals include 136 receptions for 1,479 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns across 32 games at Indiana.
NFL Highlights
Hendershot’s rookie season in Dallas produced his first career scores and his most productive year as a pro, with 11 receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns. His single rushing touchdown added an unexpected wrinkle to his game. In Kansas City, he served primarily as a depth tight end and a core special teams player, appearing in seven regular season games and three playoff contests during the 2024 campaign.
Peyton Hendershot Family
Personal Life
Peyton Hendershot keeps his personal life largely out of the public eye. Publicly available records do not list a spouse, partner, or children. He has been based in Indiana and the Dallas–Fort Worth area during his professional career, the cities tied to his time with the Cowboys.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Hendershot is a free agent after the Kansas City Chiefs did not re-sign him following the 2024 season. His recent work in Kansas City showed he can handle a depth tight end role and contribute on special teams, which often earns a player another NFL opportunity. A return to Kansas City, a chance with another contender, or a training camp invitation elsewhere all remain realistic paths back to a roster.
His career arc suggests he is best suited for a system that values tight end blocking and special teams play, the same skill set that got him through three NFL seasons. A healthy 2025 would give him a chance to push for a more active offensive role and to add to his totals of 20 career receptions and three total touchdowns.