7 Chiefs roster stats to know | KCSN Daily 8.29
Chiefs news, roster stats and more presented by DraftKings Sportsbook
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The Chiefs enter the NFL’s 53-man roster cut week with 75 players currently on the 80-man offseason roster. They need to trim the roster down to 53 players ahead of 3:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Aug. 30, which means they still have 22 roster moves to make. It’s a tough time of the year, with over 800 players being released over the next few days. Some will find new teams or land on practice squads, but for others, this will be the end of the line for their NFL dreams.
With roster cuts looming, we’re going through some Chiefs roster stats to know presented by DraftKings Sportsbook.
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7 Chiefs roster stats to know:
1. Fullbacks are forever: Mike Burton might be the safest bet to make the 53-man roster outside of all the team’s star players and clear-cut starters. In his 23 years as a head coach, Chiefs HC Andy Reid has always had a fullback on his 53-man roster. From Cecil Martin to Leonard Weaver to Anthony Sherman, Reid has always seen value in the position.
2. Three isn’t a crowd in the QB room: Since Patrick Mahomes became the starter, the Chiefs have only carried three quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster once (2019). That was done in order to get Chad Henne (ankle) on injured reserve with the ability to return later that season. Conversely, Andy Reid has only carried fewer than three quarterbacks on the opening 53-man roster just three times since 1999. The team carried 3 QBs on the roster for 7 weeks last season after promoting Shane Buechele from the practice squad ahead of Week 10.
3. Defensive numbers always win: Since Andy Reid arrived in 2013, the Chiefs have only had fewer than 25 defensive players on the team’s opening day roster once (2014). On three occasions during that span, they’ve had more than 25 players rostered on the defensive side of the ball.
4. History isn’t on Ronald Jones’ side: Five times since 2013, the Chiefs have carried three running backs or fewer on the initial 53-man roster (not including a fullback). Two of those occasions came in the past two seasons. Before that, you must go back to 2017, when they carried their fewest running backs (Kareem Hunt and Charcandrick West).
5. Protecting QB1: Since Patrick Mahomes has been the starting quarterback, the Chiefs have never kept fewer than nine offensive linemen. When Alex Smith was the starting quarterback, the Chiefs kept eight offensive linemen three times.
6. The magnificent six: Only three times since 2013 have the Chiefs kept fewer than six receivers on the opening 53-man roster. Heading into a season where Kansas City traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, you can bet on the team keeping six.
7. Defensive trenches are king: Since Steve Spagnuolo arrived as defensive coordinator in 2019, the Chiefs have only kept fewer than 10 defensive linemen on the initial 53-man roster one time (2021). That includes both interior defensive linemen and edge rushers. This group might have the best chance to be the only position group where the team carries double digits on the 53-man roster in 2022.
21 Questions:
Practice injury/absence updates:
8/29 - Returned to practice - WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), CB Rashad Fenton (groin), DE Carlos Dunlap (Achilles), WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (concussion) and CB Trent McDuffie (concussion).
8/29 - Did not practice - TE Blake Bell (hip surgery), TE Matt Bushman (clavicle), DE Malik Herring (oblique), DE Frank Clark (undisclosed) and S Deon Bush (undisclosed).
Quick hits:
From NFL Network: The NFL Top 100 Players list has been revealed. Three Chiefs made the list in 2022 — Chris Jones (39), Travis Kelce (10) and Patrick Mahomes (8). Rest assured that Mahomes has taken note of his ranking.
From Purdue: The Purdue Boilermakers will honor QB Len Dawson this season by wearing a special helmet decal. It’ll likely be something similar to the No. 16 decal that the Chiefs will wear this season to honor Dawson. The late Hall of Fame quarterback played at Purdue from 1953–1956.
From Kansas City: Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling told reporters on Monday that he’d cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and was back at practice on Sunday. He’s cleared to practice and play in the Week 1 game against the Cardinals.
Transactions:
8/27 - Released - OL Roderick Johnson
8/27 - Waived - QB Dustin Crum, RB Tayon Fleet-Davis, WR Aaron Parker and LB Mike Rose
Key: Players who are “released” are vested (4+ years of accrued service). They become free agents immediately. Players who are “waived” must pass through the NFL’s waiver system. Should they clear waivers without being claimed by another team, they’ll become an unrestricted free agent and will be free to sign elsewhere, including back on the Kansas City practice squad.
Important dates ahead:
Tuesday, Aug. 30 - Final roster cuts - 80 to 53 players (due 3:00 p.m. CT)
Wednesday, Aug. 31 - Waiver claiming period ends (due 11:00 a.m. CT)
Sunday, Sept. 11 - Week 1: Chiefs @ Cardinals - State Farm Stadium - Glendale, Arizona
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