Former Kansas City Chiefs players extend careers in CFL

A few former Chiefs players have been able to earn further opportunities in the Canadian Football League in recent weeks.

Let’s be clear up front: The only way any fan of the Kansas City Chiefs is going to recognize some of the names gaining further experience in the Canadian Football League is if someone is a real roster nerd, a diehard fan who is always making deep dives into offseason rosters. Still it’s fun from time to time to see where some former players are still finding opportunities.

Over the last few weeks, the Canadian Football League filed several transactions that included some former Chiefs along the way. It’s been a while since we’ve paid attention to the CFL given that they cancelled their 2020 season, but as teams make preparations for 2021 and re-assemble rosters, some familiar faces (that is, if you’ve been paying very close attention) are among the players signed.

Running back Akeem Hunt will likely be the most familiar to Chiefs fans, who will remember him as a rarely-used scatback and returner back in 2017. These days he’s with the Ottawa Redblacks, but back then, he served as the Chiefs primary kick returner and put up a meager 54 total yards from scrimmage on offense. Chiefs GM Brett Veach signed Hunt for the 2018 season but he was eventually released that next summer with an injury settlement. From there, Hunt grabbed another NFL opportunity with the Titans, but that was short-lived.

Malik Reaves was a defensive back prospect out of Villanova who earned a closer look with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Ultimately he didn’t even make it to training camp, but he’s found a new home with the Toronto Argonauts.

Speaking of Toronto, wide receiver Joel Blumenthal signed an extension with the Argonauts. Back in 2019, Blumenthal earned a closer look from Brett Veach when he was invited to rookie minicamp with the Chiefs as a small-school prospect from Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU). He’d switched positions from quarterback to wideout, and the Chiefs were intrigued enough to bring him in. He obviously didn’t work out but has settled in the CFL ever since.

Former Chiefs wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo was among a handful of new signings by the Ottawa Redblacks. Etta-Tawo was a wide receiver prospect out of Syracuse who has become a very well-traveled professional player, a zig-zag journey that included a stop with the Chiefs practice squad in 2017. Before and after a short stint in K.C., Etta-Tawo has moved between NFL teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and New York Giants along with the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football. Now he can add Ottawa to his list.