K.C. Chiefs bolster special teams units with re-signing of Marcus Kemp

The K.C. Chiefs have made their first roster move in March by bringing back a familiar face to the roster with the official re-signing of wide receiver Marcus Kemp.

While it’s not the sort of transaction that fans were likely waiting to hear about, given the demand for news on future free agent signings and/or potential trades, the decision to bring back Kemp for another year gives the Chiefs a familiar face and proven special teams performer who will once again compete for a spot on the depth chart at receiver and excel with the special teams units moving forward.

Kemp first signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Hawaii after the 2017 NFL Draft. Kemp went back and forth between the active roster and practice squad in that first year and slowly climbed the depth chart for the Chiefs as he impressed coaches going into his second season. He appeared in all 16 games in 2018 as an asset for Dave Toub’s coverage units.

Unfortunately for Kemp, his ascension was stalled when he tore his ACL and MCL heading into the 2019 season. Just like that, a full season was lost as he was placed on injured reserve. From there, he had to fight his way back onto the Chiefs roster late in the preseason before the 2020 season. He was subsequently promoted and then waived a few times back and forth to the practice squad before running out of such options. The Miami Dolphins then struck late in the season and signed him before the final game of the year.

Marcus Kemp has re-signed with the K.C. Chiefs.

Kemp rejoined the Chiefs practice squad for the rest of the year and perhaps it was general manager Brett Veach’s intention all along to bring Kemp into this season as well. However, until now, the team had yet to offer him a deal of any kind, including a reserve/futures deal that would have had him on the roster already heading into a new league year.

As for any potential impact, it’s difficult to project anything more for Kemp other than another season trying to secure a core four special teams role on the Chiefs roster. There’s room for someone to step up in the receiver room given the potential (read: likely) exits of both Demarcus Robinson and Sammy Watkins, but it’d be a major leap forward for Kemp if he were to suddenly become an offensive asset for Andy Reid’s team.