KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs made significant changes to their preseason roster on Tuesday in advance of their season opener slated for September 5.
The reigning Super Bowl champions have released wide receiver Kadarius Toney, as reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. Toney played a crucial role in the Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl LVII, where he scored a touchdown and set a record with a 65-yard punt return. However, his production dipped in the 2023 season, and he was not included on the active roster for Super Bowl LVIII.
According to Dianna Russini from The Athletic, the Chiefs attempted to trade Toney but ultimately opted to release him instead.
In addition to Toney, wide receiver Justyn Ross has also been waived. Ross recorded six receptions for 53 yards over six games during the previous season and joined the Chiefs on a three-year contract in 2022. He did not play that year due to injury recovery.
The team also let go of running back Louis Rees-Zammit, a former rugby player who signed with the Chiefs earlier this year under the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
Later in the evening, the Kansas City Chiefs released their complete list of roster moves following the 3 p.m. deadline. Defensive end Charles Omenihu has been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List, meaning he is ineligible to return for at least the first four games of the upcoming season after tearing his ACL in the AFC Championship Game.
Additionally, defensive end BJ Thompson is on the Non-Football Injury List after experiencing cardiac arrest in June.
The Chiefs waived a total of 31 players, including:
– Running back Emani Bailey
– Linebacker Swayze Bozeman
– Tight end Baylor Cupp
– Defensive tackle Neil Farrell
– Tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick
– Cornerback Kamal Hadden
– Running back Keaontay Ingram
– Linebacker Curtis Jacobs
– Defensive end Truman Jones
– Defensive tackle Fabien Lovett
– Cornerback D.J. Miller
– Offensive tackle Lucas Niang
– Quarterback Chris Oladokun
– Wide receiver Cornell Powell
– Running back Deneric Prince
– Running back Louis Rees-Zammit
– Wide receiver Nikko Remigio
– Wide receiver Justyn Ross
– Cornerback Keith Taylor
– Wide receiver Kadarius Toney
– Wide receiver Montrell Washington
The team also released several veterans including safety Deon Bush, linebacker Cole Christiansen, defensive tackle Matt Dickerson, and tight end Irv Smith. Former Mizzou safety Tyree Gillespie was waived with an injury designation.
NFL teams were required to reduce their rosters to 53 players by 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday.