Getty Images WR Marcus Kemp joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2017.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who have been relatively quiet on the transaction wire in recent weeks, were involved in a pair of moves during the team’s day off on Tuesday.
According to the NFL’s official transaction report for December 15, the defending Super Bowl champions have waived WR Marcus Kemp. This marks the second time the 25-year-old wideout has been released from the 53-man roster this season, the first time to clear a roster spot for CB Bashaud Breeland returning from a four-game league suspension to open the season.
In addition, the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Tuesday that they have signed OL Danny Isidora to their active roster from the Chiefs practice squad. The fourth-year blocker was initially signed on September 8 and has played minimally since, twice being elevated to the game-day roster as added depth in Weeks 7 and 8.
We have signed OL Danny Isidora from the Chiefs practice squad. @BordasLaw
As a result of the losses, Kansas City now has four open roster spots to address, two of which are on the active roster.
Today’s NFL transaction report includes the waiver of WR Marcus Kemp and Pittsburgh signing OL Danny Isidora off the practice squad. Chiefs have two open spots on active roster and two open spots on practice squad, for now.
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Marcus Kemp Provided Much-Needed Midseason Depth
Kemp has split time between the Chiefs practice squad and active roster for much of the 2020 regular season, carving out a sizeable role on special teams and hauling in one pass for 11 yards in 10 games to date. The 6-foot-4-inch, 210-pounder originally joined the team as an undrafted free agent back in 2017. After catching just a single pass in his first two professional seasons, Kemp missed the entire 2019 campaign after tearing his ACL and MCL during a preseason matchup against the Steelers.
He was last elevated from the practice squad on November 28 during which time Kemp provided some much-needed depth at receiver after injuries to Byron Pringle and Sammy Watkins, as well as an extended reserve/COVID-19 list stint for Mecole Hardman.
As has been the case in the past, Kemp is a likely candidate to revert back to the Kansas City practice squad should he clear waivers on Wednesday. For the time being, the Chiefs will make do with three other reserve pass-catchers — Gehrig Dieter, Maurice Ffrench and Jody Fortson — as their major league roster remains in good hands with the NFL’s No. 1 and No. 4 leading receivers, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
Ex-Steelers OL Made Danny Isidora Expendable
In an ironic twist on the Steelers’ poaching of Isidora, it was likely another former Pittsburgh offensive lineman — Stefen Wisniewski — who ultimately made the move possible. The tenth-year veteran rejoined the Chiefs on November 24 following an injury-shortened stint with the Steelers.
In 2019, the 31-year-old started two-of-11 games for the eventual world champs, plus all three postseason games including Super Bowl LIV in February.
Isidora, originally a 2017 fifth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings later traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2019 for a conditional draft pick, will now attempt to latch on to his fourth NFL roster in as many seasons.
In one final transaction involving Pittsburgh and Kansas City on Tuesday, ESPN’s Field Yates is reporting that long-time Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt is heading to Tampa Bay for a workout after his surprise release in April and then later by the Steelers in October.
With their specialists now on the COVID-19 list, the Bucs are bringing in P Dustin Colquitt, K Brett Maher and LS Garrison Sanborn to workout.
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Chris Licata is an NFL contributor covering the Kansas City Chiefs from enemy territory in Denver, Colorado. Follow him on Twitter @Chris__Licata or join the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook community for the latest out of Chiefs Kingdom!