While it's true that the Kansas City Chiefs are deeper than they've been in years along the defensive interior early in '26, it's often forgotten that one of their primary investments up front is still missing in action. Now that Week 4 has officially passed, it's possible that reinforcements are on the way with the looming return of Omarr Norman-Lott.
Norman-Lott was the Chiefs' second-round pick in 2025, but he only played 73 total snaps across five games to start the season before he was shelved. A torn ACL in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders robbed him of the rest of his rookie campaign, and as a bigger player, such devastating injuries can often take a greater toll in terms of recovery time than they do for someone like, say, Patrick Mahomes.
That means the Chiefs are still waiting to see exactly what they have in Norman-Lott 18 months after they drafted him. Fortunately, they might get an idea soon enough.
Omarr Norman-Lott is finally eligible to return
Norman-Lott is currently on the Chiefs' physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which is similar to injured reserve, with some differences in designation and roster impact. Norman-Lott wasn't ready for training camp at the end of July, so the Chiefs placed him on the PUP list before starting their activities in St. Joseph.
While the Chiefs were publicly hopeful about Norman-Lott's ability to return in time to practice with the team during the preseason slate, his recovery extended into the regular season. Because he was already on a PUP list, the NFL granted the Chiefs a chance to put him on the regular-season PUP list as well, which means he can be activated during the regular season after missing the first four games (which is now).
The aforementioned advantage is found in the fact that Norman-Lott's return from the PUP list doesn't count against the Chiefs' in-season activation allotment. Every team is only allowed to bring back 8 players from injury over the course of a very long season. But players who begin the year on the PUP list give teams a workaround, as long as they began the season there—the reason the designation was so important in the first place.
The Chiefs still don't know what they have in Norman-Lott
What's so interesting about Norman-Lott's return is that no one can tell what exactly the Chiefs are getting. That uncertainty is both the reason that such a disruptive interior lineman was available after the first 50 picks in the draft and why the Chiefs took the leap of faith in the second to find out.
Norman-Lott came to the NFL as a sometimes-used defensive tackle from Tennessee with an eye-popping pass rush win rate of 12.6 percent. His explosive ability off the line vaulted him up draft boards since NFL teams are perpetually searching for pass rushing help. Even as a bit of a tweener, who had to gain considerable weight to get up from 291 at the NFL Combine to 303 at his pro day, Norman-Lott was still taken at No. 61 overall because he came ready-made with good hand usage, solid strength, and an array of moves at his disposal.
As good as all of that sounds, Norman-Lott only had 10 sacks across two years at Tennessee. Questions about stamina were just as prominent as the enticing skill set, which led draft analysts to wonder where exactly he would go. Anything felt possible on draft weekend once day two began, and the Chiefs ended the mystery at the bottom of the second round.
Kansas City doesn't need to rush Norman-Lott back
The good news is that the Chiefs aren't relying on Norman-Lott in any meaningful way. The team is already 4-0 and Chris Jones and Peter Woods give them a strong core on the defensive interior. Khyiris Tonga is in place as the primary run-stuffer, and it's not uncommon to see Felix Anudike-Uzomah sliding inside as well. Bryson Eason is also on the roster as a developmental stash earning a handful of snaps each game.
That's not to say the Chiefs can't use Norman-Lott. That couldn't be further from the truth. A team can never have enough pass rushers and the Chiefs have waited long enough to see what the dividends will be from a significant investment. But, when he's ready, they can also afford to ease him in with the position in good standing as it is.
That said, it might take a bit before Norman-Lott is officially back. The PUP list allows a team to open a 21-day practice window for a player after the second game so that he's ready to come back after the missing his required four games. Norman-Lott hasn't practiced yet, so that makes it easy to assume that the wait might be a bit longer than expected. At the very least, Norman-Lott has passed his requirement for missed games, which means the Chiefs can bring him back when he's finally ready.
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