The Kansas City Chiefs made a couple of minor moves on Wednesday with the decision to bring wide receiver Jason Brownlee to the team's practice squad. In order to make room for him, the Chiefs also released tight end Robert Tonyan, per Chiefs reporter Matt Derrick.
The Chiefs are preparing to face the Houston Texans on Saturday in the opening game of the NFL's Divisional Round of the postseason, but the team's front office is also preparing for the roster construction that will ultimately yield the best squad for the 2025 season as well.
Brownlee has been something of a pet project for the New York Jets for the last couple of years after signing him as an undrafted free agent out Southern Miss with pro-ready size and catch radius. After spending this year with the Jets' practice squad, Brownlee will now hope to catch on with the Chiefs beyond the postseason with a futures deal.
Brownlee had 55 catches for 891 passing yards and 8 touchdowns in his final season with the Golden Eagles. With the Jets, he failed to appear in a single game in '24, but he did play in 7 games in 2023. He caught 5 of 8 targets for 56 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Chiefs signed Tonyan in December to the practice squad to provide some potential help at tight end and special teams in case he was elevated. However, he ended up not being utilized and was rendered useless by the postseason, given that the Chiefs can now elevate anyone from the practice squad they want on game days.