Every year in the NFL, various players are “stashed away” on injured reserve by various franchises as a way to preserving the rights to that player in the future while simultaneously saving a roster spot for another contributor for the immediate season. Of course, it’s safe to assume that the vast majority, if not all, of these players do have some sort of injury or ailment at the time, but it also seems like a savvy way for a general manager to secure a player’s services for another year to see how a developmental player might develop with the team’s strength and conditioning staff.
In the past, the K.C. Chiefs have certainly been among the teams to have utilized this IR stash move, and names like tight end/fullback John Lovett and defensive end Tim Ward are just two examples of how Brett Veach has been able to take a closer look at prospects without losing a roster spot when the regular season rolls around. This year, one new player looks like the sort of signing that makes a lot of sense for such a move: defensive end Malik Herring.
Herring is a rotational lineman out of the University of Georgia who fell in the draft due to an ACL tear suffered during the Senior Bowl. While his draft stock was never high, his impressive week in Mobile was perhaps the turning the tide on how he would have been seen by late April if not for the devastating injury suffered in the pre-draft process.
The Chiefs signed Herring as a rookie free agent, one of only a handful of such prospects to do so in an odd year for UDFAs. Typically the Chiefs sign more than a dozen players to such deals in a throw-pasta-at-the-wall approach and let the competition play out in rookie minicamp. This year, the Chiefs looked more decisive in their targets and perhaps that speaks well of Herring’s pro potential.
It makes sense for the KC Chiefs to stash Malik Herring on IR.
At this point, Herring is soon six months removed from his ACL injury and it’s possible he could be ready to contribute by the time the preseason rolls around, but as a rookie free agent. However, it’s going to take even more time and effort to recover and even then, there’s getting back into game shape. Given the steep learning curve at the pro level, it makes plenty of sense for the Chiefs to work out Herring as much as he can during the typical spring and summer activities of OTAs and training camp. From there, it also makes sense to stash him away on injured reserve if it looks as if he’s on the roster bubble come September 1.
The Chiefs have been clear that they are counting on Chris Jones to play outside on the edge in ’21, which has really kept them from making any major investments at the position. The team lost Alex Okafor and Tanoh Kpassagnon in free agency, but they brought back Taco Charlton on another one-year deal, and Mike Danna is also available to play rotational reps. All eyes will also be on Josh Kaindoh, the team’s fourth round pick, in the hopes that he can generate more production at the professional level than he did in college.
The Chiefs aren’t exactly deep at defensive end, which means Herring might have a real chance at some instant impact, but given his undrafted status, his injury, previous production, and the learning curve, it’s a long shot of a bet to say he’ll make the Chiefs active roster. Instead, it might be time for another stashed player on the part of Veach in order to allow Herring to grow into his pro form over the long haul with a real vision for competition in ’22.