Chiefs cut two-time Super Bowl champion and veteran tight end but Patrick Mahomes has more weapons than ever in bid for historic three-peat
The Kansas City Chiefs are shaking up their roster.
The organization has decided to make a number of big-name cuts ahead of the 53-man roster deadline on Tuesday, August 27.
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Two-time Super Bowl winning wide receiver Kadarius Toney was the pick of the bunch and will now be placed on waivers where any one of the 31 other teams can claim him before he becomes a free agent.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said that “the Chiefs tried to get a trade done” involving Toney but were unable to find a suitor that was willing to deal with them.
Any team looking to sign the 25-year-old will have to take on his $2.53 million salary in 2024, the final year of his rookie contract after KC previously declined his fifth-year option.
Fellow wideout Justyn Ross will also depart the organization, as will veteran tight end Irv Smith Jr and former rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit.
Former Wales international Rees-Zammit came through the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPP) after quitting his previous sport on the eve of their Six Nations campaign.
LRZ signed a three-year deal with the Chiefs in March and featured in all three of their preseason games but was released Tuesday after failing to make enough of an impact.
He will, however, likely remain with the team in some capacity.
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Meanwhile, undrafted free agent Chris Roland-Wallace, who played corner at Arizona and USC before moving to safety with the Chiefs during the offseason program, finds himself on the 53-man roster.
Running back/fullback Carson Steele, who also went undrafted in 2024 but impressed in preseason with the Chiefs, was also named to the 53-man allowance.
Steele will be just one of the offensive weapons, along with Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Isiah Pacheco, available to quarterback Patrick Mahomes in his quest for a Super Bowl three-peat.
Smith-Schuster re-signed with the team this week after being released by the New England Patriots.
He played one season in Kansas City in 2022, catching 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns.
The 27-year-old will essentially take the place of Toney, who became a Chiefs legend in Super Bowl LVII when his 65-yard punt return helped capture a 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Toney was drafted by the New York Giants in 2021 with a first-round pick.
He was traded to the Chiefs in the middle of the 2022 season for third- and sixth-round draft picks. He helped the team win a Super Bowl in his debut season at Arrowhead but suffered a downturn in form last season.
He made a number of costly errors and dropped catches and didn’t feature at all during Kansas City’s postseason run.
Andy Reid hasn’t got rid of all his Super Bowl heroes though.
Mecole Hardman, who caught the game-winning TD in Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers, was included on the 53-man roster.
The Chiefs kick off the new NFL season on 5 September with an AFC Championship game rematch against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
More to follow.
