Parker Ehinger resurfaces in AFC West with Las Vegas Raiders

Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Parker Ehinger is still alive and well in the NFL, and he’s found a team with which to continue his professional career in the AFC West by signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ehinger was signed by the Raiders on Saturday in a move that also included the release of former third round defensive back Rashaan Gaulden. The move brings Ehinger to his sixth NFL franchise since being drafted by John Dorsey and the Chiefs front office back in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Ehinger joins a remade offensive front for the Raiders this offseason, who surprisingly decided to trade away Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson to the Arizona Cardinals in order to clear cap space and make way for Andre James in the middle. The Raiders also used a first round pick on Alabama tackle Alex Leatherwood, who is slated to start on the right side, after trading away Trent Brown. The Raiders also brought in Nick Martin to the mix along the interior.

Early in his playing career, Ehinger earned starer’s reps with the Chiefs after being selected in the fourth round back in ’16 out of Cincinnati. However, an ACL tear his rookie season robbed him of further playing time and slowed his development for the Chiefs, who moved on to other options in the wake of Ehinger’s injury. Two years after he was drafted, the Chiefs shipped him off to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has been a fixture in the secondary ever since.

After short stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals, Ehinger ended up with the Baltimore Ravens for most of the last two years but even then he only played in 54 offensive snaps across two total games and that was back in ’19. Since then he’s languished on the team’s practice squad.

Ehinger is still only 28 years old and should compete for a versatile reserve spot along the offensive interior for the Raiders along with former Chiefs lineman Patrick Omameh, John Simpson, Lester Cotton, and seventh round pick Jimmy Morrissey.