At this point, it’s unknown whether or not the K.C. Chiefs will join much of the rest of the NFL in doing away with the fullback position on the roster or whether they will replace the now-retired Anthony Sherman this offseason. But if the Chiefs are looking to find someone who can fill in that role and perhaps even flex to other offensive slots, they could find themselves re-signing a familiar face in John Lovett.
The Green Bay Packers released Lovett earlier this week after watching Lovett end the season on IR with a torn ACL in 2020. Lovett had a strong enough showing in the shortened preseason with the Packers to make the practice squad, and he was elevated to the active roster for 8 games on special teams duty primarily for the regular season. Then a torn ACL ended his year and he was placed on IR.
Lovett first joined Kansas City after going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft as a quarterback-turned-offensive weapon out of Princeton. While with the Tigers, he threw 31 touchdowns against only 5 interceptions in parts of three seasons. On the ground, Lovett had 282 career carries for 1,589 yards and 42 rushing touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards/carry. He also added 51 receptions for 553 receiving yards and even punted twice in his career.
John Lovett could add a flexible offensive weapon for the K.C. Chiefs.
The Chiefs were enamored enough with him to stash him on injured reserve for his first full season in ’19 after wrist and shoulder injuries kept him out of the preseason. From there, Lovett stuck around for another offseason with the Chiefs before they decided to finally release him shortly before early roster cuts were due last August. The Packers struck from there with interest also coming from the San Francisco 49ers.
Lovett was released with a failed physical designation, so it will be interesting to see whether another team picks him up soon or waits some time until he shows he is healthy again. However, his offensive flexibility is likely to draw some interest if he’s able to show he’s healthy after the ACL tear.
As for the Chiefs, Sherman announced his retirement earlier this spring, which means there’s a potential roster hole to fill there. Lovett could be a hybrid/flex player there who can play h-back, tight end, and fullback if the Chiefs were interested in a potential reunion there. Then again, they might decide to use the roster spot on another position entirely.
Lovett, who will be 25-years-old in April, played in only 45 offensive snaps for the Packers last season.