KC Chiefs will elevate Zayne Anderson to active roster

The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing up defensive back Zayne Anderson to the active roster for the Buffalo Bills game, per reports.

According to NFL reporter Matt Lombardo, the Kansas City Chiefs will be elevating defensive back Zayne Anderson from the practice squad to the active roster for Week 6.

The Chiefs are making moves in response to a secondary that’s enduring several injuries at present, including the loss of their top two rookie defensive backs in a season in which the entire unit has been remade.

Anderson is a former rookie free agent who was able to earn a spot with the Chiefs on special teams after impressing coordinator and assistant head coach Dave Toub. It certainly can’t hurt that he’s a BYU alum (the same school as Andy Reid), but Anderson has drawn praise for his motor, versatility, and teachability. His primary downside as a pro prospect was his age entering the draft.

Anderson not only stuck around on the practice squad last season as a priority free agent but was even activated toward the end of the season and earned special teams playing time as a core-four player in four games. He even earned some defensive snaps in the secondary in the postseason, a sign the Chiefs’ trust in him was growing over time.

The Chiefs have said they’re unlikely to push cornerback Trent McDuffie, the team’s first-round pick out of Washington, to play on Sunday in his return from a hamstring injury that’s taken him out since Week 1. In addition, safety Bryan Cook, the team’s second-round pick out of Cincinnati, is out with a concussion. Veteran corner Rashad Fenton is also declared out for Week 6 as well.