Getty Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on December 16, 2021.
With the preseason officially over for the Kansas City Chiefs, the team now has until 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 30 to shave its roster down to 53 players.
The gap in between the preseason finale and the roster cutdown deadline has no doubt brought about plenty of projections already regarding how Kansas City’s roster could shape out. The Chiefs did, however, release five players on Saturday, August 27, which made projecting a bit easier in terms of who the next 22 cuts will be.
But one projection, in particular, from KSHB 41 News out of Kansas City has an interesting omission from the Chiefs’ 53-player roster that’s worth discussing.
Chiefs Predicted to Cut 2021 4th-Round Pick
Nick Jacobs of KSHB 41 dished out his 53-player roster projection for the Chiefs and has the team releasing a 2021 4th-round pick along the defensive line: Joshua Kaindoh.
The defensive linemen that Jacobs has making the roster are Chris Jones, Frank Clark, George Karlaftis, Danny Shelton, Carlos Dunlap, Mike Danna, Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi, and Khalen Sanders. The players he believes will be waived/released are Taylor Stallworth, Matt Dickerson, and Kehinde Oginni Hassan.
Kaindoh is one of three players Jacobs listed as having “practice squad potential” along the defensive line, with the other two players being Azur Kamara and Malik Herring.
“The defensive line could use another rotation defensive end but outside of that they are in good position to start the season,” Jacobs wrote on August 27. “Jones’ back will be worth monitoring this season and a healthy Shelton will be key to their pass rush and run defense.”
As the 144th overall pick in 2021, Kaindoh has failed to make an impact since entering the NFL. He was placed on injured reserve on October 5 of 2021. Prior to that, he played 12, 18, and 16 defensive snaps in each of Kansas City’s first three games of the 2021 regular season respectively, per Pro Football Reference.
This summer, Kaindoh has failed to stand out among the other edge rushers on the team, which is why his roster spot is in jeopardy heading into the regular season.
We will know by the roster cutdown deadline if Kaindoh’s time in Kansas City has ended.
Chiefs Beat Packers in Preseason Finale
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes did not play in the preseason finale, but many of the starters got reps early in the game. Some of the highlight-worthy action from the starters included a couple of punt returns from rookie receiver Skyy Moore in which he had returns of 35 and 16 yards respectively in the first quarter and showed off his elusiveness and vision.
#Chiefs rookie WR Skyy Moore took the punt return for 35 yards. #ChiefsKingdom
The standout offensive players for the game were quarterback Shane Buechele, who completed 11-of-17 pass attempts for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns, and tight end Matt Bushman, who caught 3 passes for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bushman, unfortunately, fractured his clavicle during the game, which puts him at a high risk of being cut ahead of the regular season despite his strong performance.
TE Matt Bushman catches the pass in busted coverage for a 54-yard TD. PAT is good.
Kansas City’s defense, despite the score, had a shaky performance, mainly due to poor tackling. Yet, rookie safety Bryan Cook stood out among his teammates thanks to 4 tackles, 1 pass defended, and 1 interception just before halftime.
#Chiefs rookie safety Bryan Cook intercepts #Packers QB Jordan Love right before the half. #ChiefsKingdom
Following roster cutdowns, the Chiefs will shift their focus to the regular season. The team’s regular season opener will take place on the road against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, September 11.