Chiefs Abruptly Cut 2 Veteran Defenders Days Before Season Opener

Getty Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Matt Dickerson.

The Kansas City Chiefs made several practice squad transactions on Saturday, August 31. The team released veteran defensive tackles Matt Dickerson and Neil Farrell Jr. and signed running back Emani Bailey and defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu.

Releasing both Dickerson and Farrell just days before Kansas City’s regular-season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5 is surprising. Both players have experience playing for the team, meanwhile, Bailey and Tuipulotu have very little experience with the Chiefs.

Kansas City’s coaching staff signed Tuipulotu likely because he’s young and played over 150 snaps during each of the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (which is Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s former team). So there is some potential upside with Tuipulotu. On the flip side, the Chiefs know what they had in Dickerson and Farrell, which was reserve-level ability for a defensive tackle room that includes Chris Jones and is filled with mediocre talent after him on the depth chart.

Still, getting rid of both Dickerson and Farrell is surprising when considering the Chiefs added a second RB to the practice squad and already have four backs on the active roster. Keeping three talented DTs on the practice squad could have allowed the team to use the hot-hand approach via game day elevations during the regular season if the players behind Jones on the depth chart weren’t performing well. Instead, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions will roll into the regular season with Tuipulotu and rookie Fabien Lovett Sr. as the practice squad DTs.

The Chiefs still have multiple options from the practice squad if they want to add to the DT room on game day. But there’s one less option to choose from after Saturday’s transactions.

Andy Reid: Hollywood Brown’s Progress Has Been ‘Incredible’

One of the key injuries that was being monitored ahead of Kansas City’s regular season opener was to receiver Hollywood Brown, who suffered a sternoclavicular joint dislocation during the team’s preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaking to the media on August 30, Big Red gave an update on Brown’s status for Week 1.

“I don’t think you’ll have Hollywood this week. Hollywood won’t be back this week and we’ll just see how it goes,” Reid explained during his press conference. “The kid’s amazing. His progress has been incredible, but I don’t – I wouldn’t predict him being there this week.”

Without Brown in the lineup, Kansas City will roll into Week 1 of the regular season with a receiver room that includes Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Mecole Hardman.

X Users Reacted to Saturday’s Chiefs Transactions

Users on X — formerly Twitter — reacted to the Chiefs’ practice squad transactions on August 31.

“Let’s go Emani Bailey is back,” one person wrote. “Not sure the Chiefs have a plan at DT. As great as they are at player development and scouting, at DT and WR it has not been the case.”

“Pretty happy overall with this roster and PS group,” another person wrote. “Only heartbreak was losing Curtis Jacobs, which sucks. :/ Bailey would’ve been another, glad to have him back!”