2022 KC Chiefs practice squad tracker

Keep an eye here for the first iteration of the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad for the upcoming regular season.

The dust has finally settled on the frenzy of roster activity in the National Football League, at least when it comes to releasing players to reach the 53-man limit. However, that chaos only gives way to another round of moves to be made in order for teams like the Kansas City Chiefs to form their practice squads for the coming season.

Each year the Chiefs form their practice squad primarily of players who were already on the offseason or preseason roster yet failed to make it to the active roster. This year will likely feature the same although there are always some new faces to get to know.

The league allows each team to keep 16 players on the practice squad and six of those spots can go to players with any amount of NFL experience—meaning you will see more veterans than ever earning practice squad roles.

Players signed to the practice squad who have less than two accrued seasons in the NFL will make $11,500 per week they remain in place. Veterans with more experience are able to negotiate their pay a bit higher, a preset range between $15,400 and $19,900.

As for the importance of the practice squad, the Chiefs have several players who used to be practice squad players, both here and elsewhere, playing important roles in 2022. Perhaps one or more of the following players will be a future contributor in unexpected ways.

Here’s a look at the players signed by the Chiefs to the practice squad.

Zayne Anderson, DB

Anderson is a versatile defensive back from BYU who had Dave Toub singing his praises in the face of significant mistakes late in the year. The fact that Spags was also giving him more PT during the postseason shows he’s got a future here.

Kendall Blanton, TE

The Chiefs put in a waiver claim on Blanton when he was cut by the Rams a little over a week ago, so it’s not surprising to see them interested once again in the local Blue Springs product after he was let go by the Washington Commanders.

Mike Caliendo, OL

The Chiefs found a way to retain the versatile offensive lineman out of Western Michigan. Caliendo entered the NFL with multiple seasons starting at every interior spot.

Jack Cochrane, LB

The Chiefs paid a healthy signing bonus to Cochrane after the draft to lure him to Kansas City for the offseason. While he didn’t make the final roster, he now gets a chance to learn and grow on the scout team during the regular season.

Cole Christiansen, LB

The Chiefs decided to grab a linebacker from outside the organization to pair with Jack Cochrane on the scout team with former Army product Cole Christiansen, formerly of the Chargers.

Daurice Fountain, WR

Fountain feels like he could be bound for the active roster at any given moment. He’s a solid offensive target who plays tough and excels at special teams play. It was a shock to see him not make the team out of the preseason, which bodes well for his eventual chances to play some meaningful snaps in 2022.

Jerrion Ealy, RB

The Chiefs liked Ealy’s offensive versatility back in the spring, and while he failed to make his presence felt too much in training camp, there’s a lot to like going forward if given more time to grow.

Jordan Franks, TE

It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs call on Franks sooner than later with Blake Bell’s hip injury and the loss of Matt Bushman to IR.

Nazeeh Johnson, DB

The Chiefs welcome back the only member of the draft class who was cut—an impressive feat to retain all 10 picks. Johnson was a versatile defensive back out of Marshall who had 7 career picks.

Azur Kamara, DL

The Chiefs seemed like the former Dallas Cowboys defensive end despite his late arrival onto the offseason roster, so it’s not a surprise to see him latch on here.

Elijah Lee, LB

The Chiefs are going to slip Lee back onto the active roster once the shift of tight end Blake Bell is official to injured reserve, so this is a short-lived scenario.

Chris Oladokun, QB

The Chiefs brought in the dual-threat quarterback for a pre-draft visit but lost out to the Steelers when wanting to sign him as a rookie free agent. Now they’ll get a long look at him on the practice squad.

Cornell Powell, WR

The Chiefs’ sixth-round selection out of Clemson in 2021 is back on the practice squad at the start of another season in hopes of continued growth. He showed marked improvement from 2021 in training camp, so he has a real shot at making the roster in 2023.

Austin Reiter, OL

The Chiefs have ultimate security at center knowing their starter during their back-to-back Super Bowls is still close by, if needed.

Danny Shelton, DL

For those in Chiefs Kingdom who were excited at the potential of adding the veteran run-stuffer, the good news is that the Chiefs found a way to keep Shelton close at hand after all.

Taylor Stallworth, DL

The Chiefs signed the former Colts defensive tackle to a one-year deal in free agency but he couldn’t crack the final 53, to the surprise of many. For now, he’s back with K.C. and in a prime place to either earn a call to the active roster in KC or elsewhere.