Getty Kansas City Chiefs tight end Matt Bushman.
The lone transaction for the Kansas City Chiefs on September 7 involved parting ways with a player that stood out during the preseason.
Kansas City waived tight end Matt Bushman from injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.
Chiefs cut Matt Bushman from injured reserve with injury settlement
As a former BYU product, Bushman entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2021. Bushman, 26, had his first stint in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders. After playing with the Chiefs’ division rivals over the summer, Bushman was cut and then added to Las Vegas’ practice squad at the transition of the 2021 preseason to the regular season.
Bushman remained in Las Vegas for the majority of the season and was active for the Raiders’ games in Weeks 7 and 13. In Week 7, he played 11 total offensive snaps, and in Week 13 he didn’t see the field, per Pro Football Reference.
The Raiders released Bushman from the practice squad on December 23. Kansas City then signed Bushman to its practice squad on January 4.
Bushman a Preseason Darling in KC
With four tight ends ahead of him on the depth chart (Travis Kelce, Blake Bell, Noah Gray, and Jody Fortson), Bushman remained relatively quiet during the preseason until he burst onto the scene in the Chiefs’ preseason finale on August 25.
Against the Green Bay Packers, Bushman caught 3 passes for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns. His biggest play in that game came on a 54-yard touchdown catch-and-run in which Bushman was wide open on a pass from quarterback Shane Buechele.
TE Matt Bushman catches the pass in busted coverage for a 54-yard TD. PAT is good.
Unfortunately, Bushman also suffered a broken clavicle in that game, which is why he was placed on injured reserve.
Having quality depth at tight end and a lack of availability at the moment for Bushman are likely the reasons why Kansas City cut ties with Bushman.
Big Red on Mahomes’ Efforts Since AFC Title Loss
Since the Chiefs lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game in January, the defending AFC West champions have experienced quite a bit of turnover, specifically in their wide receiver room.
Over the last 8 months, the team has traded Tyreek Hill, let Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson walk, signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and drafted Skyy Moore in the second round.
With so many new faces to work with but the expectations for success remaining the same in Kansas City, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told the media on September 7 what he’s seen from quarterback Patrick Mahomes that ensures the team will continue to succeed moving forward.
“Well when we lost receivers that we lost, he was excited first of all to get the new guys in. Who’s he going to have here? Then to take it and run for it once we signed them and literally take them to where he lives and get going,” Reid explained.
“Again, we wish all those guys the best. I think our whole team would tell you that have played with the guys that we’ve had here, (that) they’re tremendous and we’re hoping for the best in their new places. He was very excited to get them in and get them going and that’s what he did.”
Kansas City’s starters will get their first full-game action of the season when they travel to face the Arizona Cardinals on September 11 at 3:25 p.m. CST.