Getty Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Josh Gordon (#19) and tight end Travis Kelce (#87).
The Kansas City Chiefs are making some notable roster moves leading up to the AFC Championship Game.
Kansas City is activating defensive tackle Khalen Saunders from injured reserve, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Monday, January 24. To make room for Saunders on the 53-man roster, the Chiefs are waiving wide receiver Josh Gordon, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, with the expectation that Gordon will re-sign to the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers.
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Gordon’s Impact Minimal, Saunders Is Added Depth
Since joining the team on September 27, Gordon’s contributions have been minimal to the Chiefs’ offense. In 12 games played this season, he recorded five catches on 12 targets for 32 yards along with one touchdown. This is all while playing 25% percent of the team’s total offensive snaps in those games, according to Pro Football Reference.
Gordon was inactive for Kansas City’s first two playoff games, which presented an opportunity for practice squad wide receiver Daurice Fountain to be promoted on game day in the Wild-Card Round and the Divisional Round.
The defending AFC champions haven’t given up on Gordon just yet, however. As Pelissero mentioned, the team does intend to re-sign Gordon to the practice squad if he clears waivers, which would keep him in Kansas City and allow him to continue to work with the Chiefs’ offense, whether it just be for the remainder of the postseason or into the offseason as well.
If the transaction is officially made on Monday, then the other 31 NFL teams will have an opportunity to put in a claim for Gordon prior to the 4 p.m. deadline on Tuesday, January 25. If no team puts in a claim for him, then Gordon is free to re-sign with the Chiefs.
Saunders, 25, was placed on injured reserve on November 30 and was designated to return on January 4. The days leading up to the AFC title game presented the final opportunities for Kansas City to activate Saunders from injured reserve, as his 21-day window was closing.
As a part of the rotation along the interior of Kansas City’s defensive line, Saunders hasn’t played a game since October 24, which was when Kansas City lost to the Tennessee Titans 27-3. He recorded two tackles in seven regular-season games played this season, per Pro Football Reference.
Patrick Mahomes on Beating Bills in Overtime
In a game that will go down as one of the best NFL playoff games in recent memory, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes brought his A-game on Divisional Weekend.
Against the Buffalo Bills — who had the NFL’s No. 1 ranked defense during the regular season according to Pro Football Reference — Mahomes completed 33-of-44 pass attempts for 338 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also had a franchise-record 69 rushing yards and scored another touchdown with his legs.
Mahomes finished the game in overtime by capping off an eight-play, 75-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce.
Patrick Mahomes finds Travis Kelce in the end zone for a touchdown, which closes out the game for Kansas City.
KC moves onto the AFC Championship Game & will play the Cincinnati Bengals. Buffalo’s season comes to an end.
“It was definitely special. To win a game like this at Arrowhead, obviously Super Bowl was probably number one for me, but this one is right up there,” Mahomes said during his postgame press conference on Sunday, January 23.
“To be able to come back a couple times, get points when we needed to get points, score touchdowns, get in field goal range, let (Harrison) Butker kick field goals. I’ll remember it forever,” Mahomes continued. “I’m kind of still – energy is still going, I’m still kind of amped up, but we got a big one this next week too, so I’ll be ready to go next week as well. Just got to get back in that film room.”
With another win in the books, the Chiefs will now advance to the Conference Championships, when they will face the Cincinnati Bengals on GEHA at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bengals won their Divisional Round matchup against the Tennessee Titans 19-16 on Saturday, January 22.
Kansas City faced the Bengals most recently in Week 17 when the Chiefs lost to the Bengals in Cincinnati 34-31. In that game, Cincy QB Joe Burrow threw for 446 yards and four touchdowns. Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase also caught 11 balls for 266 and three touchdowns that day.
The AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Bengals will take place Sunday, January 30 at 2 p.m. Arrowhead Time.