The Kansas City Chiefs have signed offensive tackle Evin Ksiezarczyk, according to his agency, VMG Sports, on July 25.
Ksiezarczyk, 25, played his college ball at Buffalo. He entered the NFL undrafted in 2021 and spent time with the Minnesota Vikings last summer before being waived ahead of the regular season. From there he spent time on the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills practice squads during the 2021 season, according to Pro Football Reference.
The latest Chiefs news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Chiefs newsletter here!
Will Orlando Brown Jr. Report to Camp?
Kansas City signing Ksiezarczyk could be the team foreshadowing starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.’s absence from training camp. Because Brown hasn’t signed his franchise tender yet, he can sit out training camp and the preseason without being fined.
Head coach Andy Reid said on July 23 that he didn’t know if Brown would be participating in camp.
“I don’t know that,” Reid said. “I don’t know whether [Brown’s] going to be [at training camp] or not. If he’s here great. If he’s not, we move on. That’s how we’ve done it in the past. This isn’t the first time I’ve been through something like this. My thing is, we just go. Whoever the next guy is to step in there — we know Joe Thuney can do it in a heartbeat. If we need to go that direction, we can go that direction. We have some new faces in there who can also do it.”
Brown and the other veterans on the team are scheduled to report to camp on Monday, July 25. So, by the end of the day, we should know whether or not Brown reported to camp. However, the signing of Ksiezarczyk might tell us all we need to know about Brown’s attendance.
While Reid hinted on July 23 that sliding left guard Joe Thuney to left tackle was plan B for the Chiefs if Brown didn’t report to camp, Ksiezarczyk is also an option to replace Brown for the summer.
4 Chiefs Player Start Camp on PUP List
Among the notable transactions for the Chiefs at the start of training camp is the organization placing four players on the physically unable to perform list on July 23. Those players are cornerback Rashad Fenton (shoulder), offensive tackles Lucas Niang and Prince Tega Wangho, and rookie wide receiver Justyn Ross, per the NFL’s transaction wire.
Ross underwent foot surgery, according to head coach Andy Reid, which would explain why he was recently seen wearing a walking boot. Reid explained that the surgery was to clean up the previous injury Ross had at Clemson because it wasn’t functioning the way he wanted it to.
There is no timeline for Ross’ recovery at this time, per Reid.
General manager Brett Veach revealed on May 3 that Fenton was undergoing rehab for a shoulder procedure and expected Fenton to be ready for training camp.
In January, Niang suffered a torn patellar tendon during Kansas City’s Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury forced Niang to be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
During training camp, players placed on the PUP list can be activated at any point, regardless of when they were placed on the list. Only time will tell how long those players need to work back from their respective injuries.
READ MORE:
- Fan-Favorite TE a TD Machine at Start of Chiefs Camp: Report
- Chiefs’ Bounce-Back WR Candidate Has ‘Velcro-Like Hands’ at Camp: Report
- Patrick Mahomes Reacts to No Longer Being Highest-Paid NFL QB