Chiefs roster news tracker: signings, cuts, waiver claims, practice squad and more

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs roster news tracker: signings, cuts, waiver claims, practice squad and more

On Tuesday, the Kansas City Chiefs reduced their 2025 roster to 53 players. Over the next few days, the Chiefs will assemble their 2025 practice squad while churning their active roster.

The waiver wire​

From Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, NFL teams will be burning the midnight oil, evaluating more than 1,000 players who were cut from league rosters.

Some — like just-released Chiefs Mike Pennel and Robert Tonyan — are free agents who can be signed right away. Others — such as Kansas City’s just-waived Chris Oladokun and Esa Pole — can be claimed by other teams on waivers.

If a claim is successful — that is, if there is not a competing claim from a team earlier in the waiver order — the team assumes the player’s existing contract. Claimed players must be added to the new team’s 53-man active roster — meaning that a team must be prepared to cut someone else to make room for the new player.

The Chiefs — as losers of Super Bowl LIX — are 31st in the waiver order.

Waiver claims can be submitted until 11 a.m. Arrowhead Time on Wednesday. Players who go unclaimed by that time “clear” waivers. They become free agents who can be signed to any team’s active roster or practice squad.

Reserve/Injured return eligibility​

Each team will have until 3 p.m. Arrowhead Time on Wednesday to name players currently on its Reserve/Injured list who will be eligible for designations to return.

Each team may do this for only two players — and for each one named as eligible, the number of return designations the team may make in the season (eight for most, but 10 for teams that make it to the postseason) is reduced by one — even if that player is never designated for return.

So if teams have more than two players they might want to return from IR, they will have to be on the 53-man roster through Wednesday before they are placed on that list. This way, they will automatically be eligible for return designations.

This may be why the Chiefs released veterans like Pennel and Tonyan — so they could put injured players like Jalen Royals or Omarr Norman-Lott on Reserve/Injured for the first four games of the season, replacing them with the veteran players. Teams and veterans sometimes have an understanding: the player will be re-signed immediately after the injured player goes on IR.

Players signed to the active roster​

• None so far

Waiver claims by Chiefs​

• None

Players cut from the active roster​

• None so far

Players placed on Reserve/Injured​

• None so far

Trades​

• None so far

Former Chiefs headed elsewhere​

• T Esa Pole claimed on waivers by the Jets
• LB Cam Jones claimed on waivers by the Jets
• QB Bailey Zappe signed to Browns practice squad

Players signed to practice squad​

• S Mike Edwards
• T Chukwuebuka Godrick
• QB Chris Oladokun
• RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
• FB Carson Steele
• DT Brodric Martin
• DT Coziah Izzard
• CB Kevin Knowles II
• WR Hal Presley
• TE Robert Tonyan
• LB Cole Christiansen
• CB Melvin Smith
• DT Marlon Tuipulotu
• WR Jimmy Holiday
• TE Tre Watson
• OG C.J. Hanson

Updates​

Wednesday, August 27

• 3:05 p.m. The Browns sign former Kansas City quarterback Bailey Zappe to their practice squad, per report.
• 2:54 p.m. Through team reporter Matt McMullen, the Chiefs confirm all reported practice squad signings except Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Brodric Martin. 14 players are on the official practice squad roster. Per Matt Derrick, Edwards-Helaire’s signing wasn’t done in time for Wednesday’s reporting deadline.
• 2:32 p.m. Report: Tight end Robert Tonyan will be activated to the roster when Rashee Rice is placed on the commissioner’s Exempt list, which is expected on Wednesday or Thursday.
• 1:43 p.m. Linebacker Cole Christiansen, cornerback Melvin Smith, defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, wide receiver Jimmy Holiday, tight end Tre Watson and guard C.J. Hanson were all observed at practice, suggesting they have been signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad, per report.
• 1:37 p.m. Released tight end Robert Tonyan appeared at Kansas City’s Wednesday practice, suggesting he has been signed to the practice squad, per report.
• 1:09 p.m. Kansas City signs cornerback Kevin Knowles II to practice squad, per report.
• 12:49 p.m. The Chiefs sign wide receiver Hal Presley to its practice squad, per report.
• 12:44 p.m. Kansas City signs defensive tackle Coziah Izzard to practice squad, per report.
• 12:42 p.m. Former Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin signed to practice squad, per report.
• 12:43 p.m. Chiefs sign quarterback Chris Oladokun, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and fullback Carson Steele to practice squad, per report.
• 12:26 p.m. The Chiefs sign veteran safety Mike Edwards to the practice squad, per report.
• 12:14 p.m. Kansas City signs tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick to its practice squad, per report. He will have a roster exemption as an International Pathway Program player, allowing the Chiefs to have 17 practice-squad players.
• 11:27 a.m. The Chiefs claim no players on waivers, per league report.
• 11:27 a.m. The Jets claim former Chiefs T Esa Pole and LB Cam Jones on waivers, per league report.

Tuesday, August 26

• 6:56 p.m. Sam McDowell reports Chiefs plan to re-sign tight end Robert Tonyan.
• 11:57 a.m. Matt Derrick reports Kansas City expects to be able to sign released LB Cole Christiansen to its practice squad.
• 10:44 a.m. Matt Derrick reports Chiefs hope to sign waived offensive lineman Chukwuebuka Godrick as 17th player on practice squad.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...gs-cuts-waiver-claims-practice-squad-and-more