Chiefs OT Chukwuebuka Godrick Explains Growth Since Entering NFL

Ahead of his second year in Kansas City, Godrick explained in an interview how he's adjusted to life in the NFL.

Jun 13, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs Chukwuebuka Godrick poses for a photo on the red carpet at the Nelson-Akins Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' roster is in flux ahead of cutdowns this week, but a pair of international players figure to stick around the organization in some capacity.

One of them, offensive tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick, is feeling comfortable in his second year with the team.

Godrick, a product of the NFL's International Player Pathway program, joined Kansas City an offseason ago and spent the 2023-24 campaign on the practice squad. In a recent interview with ESPN's Leonard Solms, the 23-year-old reveals that he thinks he's made progress since latching on with the back-to-back Super Bowl champs.

"I've definitely grown as a person and grown as an athlete," Godrick said. "To be around that team, those great players, that great coach - just that great culture - it teaches you a different way of life; it teaches you to be better in everything you do."

With running back Louis Rees-Zammit being a traditional practice squad candidate, Godrick can remain Kansas City's designated IPP player for 2024. That, in turn, allows the club to carry him as its 17th player on the practice squad if they so choose. He was one of eight 2023 IPP players to get a shot in the NFL, and the Chiefs were no strangers to the program. The year before, defensive lineman Kehinde Oginni Hassan was picked up from the same pipeline.

Kansas City is hoping that things fare better with Godrick. The Nigerian offensive lineman is a former basketball player who's still relatively new to football, so his physical and mental development remain critical. He's also focused on helping his teammates improve, which was a point of emphasis this past season as well.

"He said: 'When I was in the practice squad last year, I did my best to show up and give the best look I could for the starters,' Solms wrote. 'Going against Chris Jones, Mike Danna, George Karlaftis day by day - it definitely made me a better player, but it was great to hear at the end of the year that I got them better and got them ready for games.'"

While the Chiefs entered the preseason with a bit of uncertainty at the left tackle spot, much of that has been sorted out. Rookie Kingsley Suamataia projects to be the starter, and second-year man Wanya Morris will back him up (if healthy and available). On the right side, Jawaan Taylor will start and 2020 draft pick Lucas Niang figures to be his backup. Players like Godrick and undrafted rookie Ethan Driskell are slotted more as practice squad guys than roster candidates as things stand now.

That isn't stopping Godrick, who logged 117 snaps in three 2024 preseason games, from embracing the mindset of being ready. If the Chiefs ever need him to suit up for a game, he thinks he's improved enough to be prepared for it.

"I actually had a really great spring," Godrick said. "There was a big emphasis for me to come in this year and show that I'm no longer that guy that's just learning football and show how much I've grown. I feel like over the spring, I did my part to show that I've grown in the game and I can be out there playing with the guys and I feel like the coach has seen that too."

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