KC Chiefs have stashed trio of promising tight ends on practice squad

Nakia Griffin-Stewart

Nakia Griffin-Stewart is back with the Chiefs right now on a second stint after spending a bit of time on the team’s practice squad earlier this year. That has to be heartening to know that general manager Brett Veach is keeping his pulse on Griffin-Stewart and is intent on keeping him around as long as it makes sense for the sake of roster construction.

Earlier this season, the Chiefs first signed Griffin-Stewfjsart to a deal to join the practice squad after losing linebacker Christian Rozeboom to the Rams. He didn’t last long, however, as the team added offensive lineman Darryl Williams to replace him on the P.S. in early November. Later that month, the Chiefs brought him back and he’s remained on the roster ever since.

Griffin-Stewart was elevated to the active roster in recent weeks as a game-day promotion, which shows that he’s the closest of anyone. He only played 3 snaps in Week 16 against the Steelers but his ability to even be on the roster in the wake of Travis Kelce’s COVID reserve placement is a good thing for Griffin-Stewart—at least in the short term.

Griffin-Stewart has also spent time with the Vikings, Packers, and Giants in his short NFL career after finishing his career at Pitt. It’s possible the Chiefs have him on the practice squad as a pro-ready player who can provide backup in case of emergency while the former two (Bushman, Vital) could be long-term plays. But that’s impossible to tell, ultimately, for those outside of Arrowhead.