The Kansas City Chiefs kept chipping away at their roster this week, and the headliner was a new face at tight end: Thomas Odukoya.
According to a report from Adam La Rose and Ely Allen of ProFootballRumors.com that cited the NFL’s transaction wire, Odukoya was added to Kansas City’s practice squad. The Chiefs had recently worked him out, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, and his spot makes him the 17th player on the practice squad. That extra slot is tied to his eligibility as a native of the Netherland and his place in the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
Kansas City also continued sorting out the rest of the roster ahead of Friday’s waiver deadline. The Chiefs waived guard C.J. Hanson, quarterback Chris Oladokun and running back EJ Smith with injury settlements, according to Ely Allen.
Oladokun’s departure stood out more than the others. He had started multiple games late in the season after Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew II were injured, but turnovers hurt his chances. During the preseason, rookie Garrett Nussmeier passed him as the team’s third quarterback after the LSU rookie did enough to stay in the mix as a possible backup to Mahomes.
Smith was bumped aside by Emmett Johnson, who did enough in the preseason to lock down a backup role. Johnson also flashed enough burst and playmaking ability to get snaps and help keep Kenneth Walker III from wearing down.
Earlier in the week, the Chiefs also moved on from defensive tackle Cole Brevard and filled that practice-squad spot with Marcus Harris.
None of the changes amount to a major shakeup, but they do round out a roster that is taking shape. Kansas City is clearly leaning on Mahomes and Walker on offense, while the lack of a veteran receiver remains notable. Xavier Worthy is expected to have a major role if he can stay healthy, though that has been an ongoing issue for the speedster.
On defense, the Chiefs are betting on youth, with cornerback Mansoor Delane and edge rusher R Mason Thomas among the players to watch. Thomas especially turned heads in the preseason, and he’s expected to give Kansas City’s pass rush a jolt after it struggled to finish plays down the stretch last year.
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