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The Kansas City Chiefs made a tough decision on December 6, releasing defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth onto waivers.
The fifth-year UDFA was an intriguing free-agent acquisition this spring but he never really panned out for Chiefs general manager Brett Veach in 2022. In the end, he finished his brief KC career with four total tackles and zero sacks or quarterback pressures in six appearances and 53 defensive snaps.
Stallworth’s Pro Football Focus grade has also been atrocious (29.5) since coming to Kansas City, ranking dead last on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense behind fellow D-tackle Derrick Nnadi. To put it simply, this signing was a bust, and with veterans like Brandon Williams and Danny Shelton available on the practice squad, Veach decided to cut bait with the 27-year-old.
Recent Chiefs Cut Taylor Stallworth Claimed Off Waivers
On the bright side, Stallworth did not last long on the open market. The Houston Texans’ official Twitter account shared the news on December 7, noting that they claimed the D-tackle off waivers from the Chiefs.
Houston Chronicle beat reporter Jonathan Alexander followed up, adding that the Texans waived DL Michael Dwumfour in a corresponding move — so Stallworth was able to find his way back onto an active roster in short order.
Perhaps a change in scenery will help the interior defensive lineman, who did register three sacks and 12 QB hits with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, prior to joining Chiefs Kingdom. As for the Chiefs, the assumption is that they will eventually sign either Williams or Shelton to the 53-man roster but for this immediate outing in Denver, a practice squad elevation would do the trick.
Patrick Mahomes Gives Respect to Broncos Defense
While addressing the media yesterday on December 7, KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes II had a lot of good things to say about the Denver Broncos defense.
“I think the challenge is that they’re a good football team,” Mahomes began while discussing the Week 14 matchup. “Their defense is special — they have a good scheme, they have good players, and so when you play division opponents you obviously know they’ve studied you all offseason so you try to have a concept of what you do best but at the same time throw in some wrinkles so that they can’t be on top of your best plays.”
“For us, it’ll be a great challenge against a great defense,” Mahomes concluded, “to go out there and try to find a way to put up enough points to win.”
Mahomes and the Chiefs have had no trouble beating the Broncos in recent seasons. The franchise has won its last 13 outings against Denver and the superstar QB is undefeated when facing them in his career.
“We just really emphasize playing our division opponents,” Mahomes stated humbly regarding his record versus the Broncos, “that’s something that we work on all offseason. In order to get where you want to go [in the NFL] you have to win your division most times. For us, the coaches do a great job of giving us great game plans and I just try and go out there and execute them.”
Kansas City will look to stay hot against Denver in Week 14 as the two organizations come in at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Chiefs are 9-3, leading the AFC West, while the Broncos are 3-9 under a new head coach in Nathaniel Hackett.
This would have the makings of a classic trap game on the road if KC hadn’t lost in Week 13. The Chiefs have not lost back-to-back games since Week 3 of the 2021 campaign, where a Los Angeles Chargers defeat followed a Baltimore Ravens one. They should be hungry for a victory, no matter the odds.
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