Kansas City Chiefs release LB Josh Mauga

The Kansas City Chiefs have released linebacker Josh Mauga, the first signing for Brett Veach shortly after he became the new general manager.

The Kansas City Chiefs apparently didn’t need as much security at inside linebacker as they thought. The team has released veteran Josh Mauga with the news that the team had acquired Reggie Ragland in a deal from the Buffalo Bills.

Mauga was the first signing by Brett Veach after becoming general manager earlier this summer. Mauga’s contract expired this offseason after originally signing a three-year deal with the Chiefs in 2014. Mauga started 30 games for the Chiefs during those first two seasons after signing with the team, coming over to help play alongside Derrick Johnson in the team’s base defense for defensive coordinator Bob Sutton—for whom he’d played in his earliest days with the New York Jets.

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Mauga was a nice role player for the Chiefs those first two years and looked stronger heading into his third year, but unfortunately he was placed on injured reserve after suffering a labral tear in his hip. The move cost him the entire 2016 season and his contract expired shortly thereafter.

For the Chiefs moving forward, the release of Mauga points to positive things for the guys behind him. For Ramik Wilson, it means the growth displayed in the second half of last year has continued. It likely also means that the special teams prowess and athleticism of Ukeme Eligwe, the team’s fifth round pick, was good enough to make the final roster. It will be interesting to see what it means for Justin March-Lillard and Terrance Smith moving forward, and there’s also the presence of Kevin Pierre-Louis to account for as well. Instead of releasing any of these guys after the trade for Ragland, the Chiefs instead moved Mauga. That says something.

Hopefully Mauga can latch on with another team as a solid veteran who can play special teams. He looked ready to return from injury, so even if the Chiefs can’t use him, someone should make use of a solid tackler who can make plays on the ball in coverage.