The Chiefs are rolling into Seattle for a primetime road test with a battered offense, and one injury in the backfield has opened the door for an unexpected rookie debut.
Andy Reid said Friday that Brashard Smith will miss Sunday’s game after the running back surfaced with a hamstring injury on Thursday and then sat out practice. That leaves Kansas City with one more spot to fill on the active roster, and Reid already pointed to undrafted rookie Jaydn Ott as the replacement. If that holds, Ott will make his professional debut against the toughest opponent the Chiefs have faced so far.
Smith’s absence matters more for depth than for production. Through six games, he has not logged a carry and has drawn just one target, which he turned into a four-yard catch in six offensive snaps.
His value has mostly been as a possible spark if injuries pile up. He also looked like the most explosive candidate to handle return duties, especially after Nikko Remigio put the ball on the ground once last week and nearly coughed up another punt.
For now, though, that job appears likely to stay with Remigio for at least another week unless Ott jumps into the mix.
Ott’s path to this chance has been a winding one. The Chiefs signed him and E.J.
Smith as rookie free agents earlier this spring, then brought Ott back to the practice squad after both were waived during roster cut weekend. He’s a 5-foot-11, 198-pound back who played for current Chiefs running backs coach DeMarco Murray at Oklahoma a year ago.
His college resume is the reason he’s still on the radar. Ott led the Pac-12 with 1,315 rushing yards in 2023 and piled up 25 total touchdowns in his first two seasons at Cal.
He also flashed big-play juice with a 99-yard kickoff return, and his pre-draft numbers backed up the athleticism: a 40.5-inch vertical leap and a 1.53-second 10-yard split. Injuries over the last two seasons kept him from hearing his name called in the draft, but the raw talent was never the question.
Kansas City won’t need to lean on Ott right away if Smith is already out, and the offense has bigger issues in front of it. Rashee Rice missed practice all week for the second straight week with a hamstring injury and has been ruled out.
Right tackle Jaylon Moore has been in concussion protocol since leaving the Week 6 win over the L.A. Chargers and will miss Sunday as well.
That leaves the Chiefs with two backup offensive tackles and a stripped-down receiving group.
Still, Ott is next in line. Injuries have a way of forcing the issue, and this one has handed the rookie an opening no one expected.
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