Chiefs Make Roster Moves, Showing Plans for TE Travis Kelce and DT Chris Jones
In a flurry of roster moves, the Kansas City Chiefs have shown their plans for two returning superstars in their Week 2 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On Saturday, the Chiefs activated defensive tackle Chris Jones, marking his official return to the active roster after missing all of the team's offseason activities due to a contract holdout that ended this week. They also activated defensive tackle Matt Dickerson and running back La'Mical Perine from their practice squad and waived cornerback Darius Rush.
These moves paint a clearer picture of what the Chiefs expect from Jones, Kelce and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (questionable, illness) in Jacksonville.
In Kelce's absence in Week 1, the Chiefs also activated practice squad TE Matt Bushman. This week, he won't suit up for KC, meaning the Chiefs will go into the game with Kelce, Noah Gray and Blake Bell as the team's three tight ends. Bushman played just seven snaps in Week 1, so the Chiefs could still hold Kelce in a limited role and lean on Gray and Bell again against the Jags, but it seems much more likely that Kelce will carry a significant workload in Week 2, even if he is in a more limited role than usual.
Sep 7, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) on field against the Detroit Lions after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Meanwhile, by elevating Dickerson for the second consecutive week, the team may want to limit Jones in his return. Jones participated in Chiefs practices this week, but after missing all of training camp and the preseason, his "football-shape" conditioning may still be a work in progress. Dickerson played 41 snaps (59%) for the Chiefs' defense in Week 1. If he's active on Sunday, he could still see the field while Jones gets back into the flow of NFL action.
Edwards-Helaire missed two practices this week with an illness and is officially questionable for Jacksonville. The elevation of Perine makes it seem likely that Edwards-Helaire would be inactive on Sunday, but with the apparently up-and-down nature of Edwards-Helaire's undisclosed illness, Perine could be some depth security for Sunday's game. Edwards-Helaire was a full participant in Thursday's practice, so perhaps there's a chance he could be healthy enough to play on Sunday.
The waiving of Rush is newsworthy, as he was the only player the Chiefs claimed off waivers following the NFL's roster cutdown. Rush, a 2023 fifth-round pick, was waived by the Indianapolis Colts and could now join the Chiefs' practice squad if he clears waivers.
