Chiefs Re-Sign LB Cole Christiansen, Release DT Matt Dickerson

Kansas City is reuniting with one of its linebackers after previously withdrawing his tender offer, but it's at the expense of a veteran lineman.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' offseason roster continues to take shape, and general manager Brett Veach is making some moves along the fringes. With that said, the two players involved in Monday's developments did play roles on 2023-24's eventual Super Bowl-winning squad.

Per the NFL transaction wire and multiple reports, Kansas City is bringing back linebacker Cole Christiansen. This comes less than two weeks after the club withdrew its exclusive rights free agent tender for the 26-year-old before the start of rookie minicamp. Christiansen now rejoins the team he's been with since 2022.

In a corresponding move, the Chiefs have released defensive tackle Matt Dickerson. As Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest notes, he's a vested veteran. With that status and this being the offseason, Dickerson will pass straight through to free agency and is free to embark on his next endeavor.

Following that roster swap, Kansas City's offseason 90-man total should still sit at 91 players (one exemption for International Player Pathway Program player Louis Rees-Zammit).

Chiefs have re-signed LB Cole Christiansen. The club earlier withdrew his tender offer to make room for the UDFA class but option to bring him back.

Club released DT Matt Dickerson. He’s a vested veteran so he becomes a free agent.

— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) May 13, 2024

Christiansen is a former undrafted free agent who's spent his entire career in the AFC West. The former Army standout appeared in five regular-season games this past campaign, logging 23 special teams snaps for Dave Toub's unit. During the club's playoff run through Super Bowl LVIII, he played a combined 54 special teams reps. Prior to that, he had 18 snaps in one game in 2022-23.

The Chiefs are flush with depth at linebacker, so Christiansen should be battling it out with others for a roster spot. Someone like UDFA rookie Curtis Jacobs is someone to watch on the roster bubble this summer. OTAs, mandatory minicamp and training camp will clear up that picture a bit more.

Dickerson's tenure in Kansas City ends with him having played in 12 games during the regular season. He recorded 15 total tackles in that span, logging 190 snaps on defense and seven on special teams. Dickerson was active for the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Buffalo Bills, playing 16 defensive snaps and recording a tackle in the process.

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