Chiefs news: Marcus Kemp returns to practice squad

The Kansas City Chiefs have re-signed Marcus Kemp to their practice squad.

The waiver wire worked out just as the Kansas City Chiefs were hoping it might. After releasing wide receiver Marcus Kemp on Wednesday, in a move intended to create space on the active roster for cornerback Bashaud Breeland, the team was able to re-sign Kemp on Thursday to their practice squad.

Breeland has been waiting to join the Chiefs active roster for the first month of the season but was forced to sit out due to a four-game suspension levied against him by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. After Week 4, Breeland was free to participate in practice and prepare for his first official snaps of 2020 in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

To make room for Breeland, the Chiefs decided to cut ties with Kemp but the “expectation”, per Nate Taylor of the Athletic, was that the team would re-sign him to the practice squad. However in order to do that, every other NFL team would have to decline the chance to claim him. The Chiefs, it turned out, knew what they were doing.

Kemp has been a special teams ace for the Chiefs over the last couple years and was re-signed earlier this offseason just two weeks before the regular season began. However, he quickly earned a spot on the active roster and played in all four games so far on special teams duty. It’s certainly possible that given injuries or other concerns that Kemp will be active sooner than later given his dependability and history with the team.

As for Breeland, the Chiefs now have a bit more security, talent and depth at a position that has been hurt by numerous losses, including Breeland to start the season. Charvarius Ward is still playing with a fractured hand, and L’Jarius Sneed is sitting out with a broken collarbone.