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The Kansas City Chiefs have released a veteran from their active roster ahead of their Week 4 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Chiefs have released linebacker Elijah Lee, according to the NFL’s transaction wire on September 27.
Kansas City signed Lee, 26, to a one-year deal on March 22. As a six-year NFL veteran, Lee was expected to compete for defensive reps behind second-year linebacker Nick Bolton and third-year linebacker Willie Gay. However, the play of rookie third-round pick Leo Chenal and Darius Harris, who is filling in for Gay during his four-game suspension, pushed Lee down the depth chart. That’s why the Chiefs cut ties with him at the end of the preseason and then signed him to their practice squad at the beginning of the regular season.
The Chiefs did promote Lee to the 53-player roster on September 10. Yet, outside of 8 defensive snaps in Week 1, Lee has not earned a snap (outside of special teams) over the last two games, according to Pro Football Reference.
Although Lee has been released by the Chiefs, that doesn’t mean his time in Kansas City is officially over. Now that he’s a free agent, Lee could re-sign to the Chiefs practice squad if Kansas City offers him another contract.
Another transaction made by the defending AFC West champions was the signing of defensive tackle Cortez Broughton to the practice squad. Broughton spent time with the Chiefs last season and was active for one regular season game. This season, Kansas City placed him on the active/unable to physically perform list in early August and cut him at the end of the preseason.
Andy Reid Talks Limited Usage for Skyy Moore
Through three weeks of the regular season, the Chiefs have used rookie second-round pick, Skyy Moore, sparingly on offense. After playing 13 offensive snaps in the regular season opener, the rookie receiver only played 2 offensive snaps in Week 2 and 8 in Week 3, per Pro Football Reference.
Head coach Andy Reid discussed Moore’s development during his press conference on Monday, September 26.
“Yeah so, we actually had some [plays] for him this game and it didn’t work out that way — we didn’t have a ton of first‐ and second‐down calls, and that we got to do better with,” Reid said. “And so, his number didn’t get dialed up as much as we wanted. When it did, the defense didn’t play it the way where he would be open. But it’ll come. We’re through Game 3 here now. His time will come. We’ll just keep working on it.”
Reid Discusses Moore’s Week 3 Muffed Punt
In the first quarter of Kansas City’s Week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Moore muffed a punt inside Kansas City’s red zone, which set up the Colts for their first touchdown of the game. It was one of the many costly plays given up by the Chiefs, but it was nevertheless a discouraging play by a rookie with a lot to prove.
Reid detailed what it will take to keep Moore’s confidence high after a subpar performance in Week 3.
“Yeah so, Skyy’s a good kid, and he’s young and so some of the things that happened yesterday with some young guys, and you’ve got to — I’ve said that from the get‐go — you’re going to have a hiccup here or there, and you hope it doesn’t happen. You practice that it doesn’t happen, but sometimes it happens,” Reid said.
“The young kids have got to grow, and you’ve got to get back on the horse, Herbie [Teope], and to learn and he did that. He got back on and did a couple good things in there, but you know he’ll be better for it down the road.”
