The Kansas City Chiefs came out of their Monday Night Football opener against the Denver Broncos with a statement win, but didn’t escape the game fully unscathed.
Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane was hurt in the game, being ruled out after suffering a shoulder injury. The Chiefs made some quick changes on Tuesday to fill the void, bringing back a familiar face to help the secondary and cutting ties with another promising player.
Chiefs Cut Ties With Tanner McCalister
Reporter Charles Goldman noted on Tuesday that the Chiefs made a quick move to provide depth in their secondary.
“The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back a familiar face on the practice squad,” Goldman shared in a post on X. “Melvin Smith Jr. returns after being claimed off waivers by the Titans following 53-man roster cuts. He rejoins the team as they navigate rookie CB Mansoor Delane’s injury.”
To make room on their roster, the Chiefs cut ties with another 26-year-old defensive back, Goldman reported.
“This move will be official tomorrow, I’m told. The Kansas City Chiefs made their corresponding move today, though. They terminated the practice squad contract of DB Tanner McCalister,” Goldman wrote in a post on X.
McCalister spent part of the 2025 season on Kansas City’s practice squad before signing with the Denver Broncos, returning to the Chiefs on a reserve/futures contract.
As USA Today’s Ed Easton Jr. reported, McCalister had bounced around the NFL a bit before coming to the Chiefs.
“The journeyman defensive back spent his first four college seasons at Oklahoma State playing slot cornerback and eventually finishing as a starter for Ohio State in 2022. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 draft but later signed with the Cleveland Browns,” he wrote.
Chiefs Avoided Major Injury for Mansoor Delane
Delane underwent X-rays following Monday’s game, but they came back negative and he is not expected to miss significant time. NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport noted that Delane was injured while making an interception.
“Yeah, Mansoor Delane deserves all of that praise, but he did spend the day getting tests done on that shoulder,” Rapoport reported. “Of course, made the interception, landed on that shoulder, and actually suffered an injury earlier in the spring and summer on that scapula, landed right on that. He’s had some tests. So X-ray negative. That is a good sign. CT scan negative. Not out of the woods yet, but there’s a lot of positivity that this is a short-term injury.”
The Chiefs had a stellar defensive performance against the reigning AFC West champions, holding the Broncos to just two scores in a 31-10 victory. Kansas City’s aggressive defense hounded Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, while the offense shook off a slow start behind a strong rushing performance from newcomer Kenneth Walker III.
Chiefs Cut Ties With Veteran Defensive Back Just Hours After Broncos Win