Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is slowly filling out some competitive spots at key positions as the offseason gets underway. The revolving door before Tanner McCalister has brought him back to K.C. once again, this time as a reserve/futures signing that will position him on the 90-man offseason roster once a new league year begins in March.
McCalister first joined the Chiefs as a late-season signing following a 10-man tryout at Arrowhead. Veach ended up liking McCalister, a veteran safety who will be entering his fourth year at the professional level in 2026, and offensive lineman Nick Broeker out of the lot.
Three weeks later, however, McCalister was released along with quarterback Shane Buechele in order to make room for new faces on the offensive side: wide receiver Andrew Armstrong and running back ShunDerrick Powell. McCalister went on to join the Denver Broncos practice squad shortly thereafter.
Now, McCalister is back with the Chiefs in the hopes of making his presence felt in the secondary. Regional college football fans might remember McCalister from his days at Oklahoma State before he transferred to Columbus to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes in his final season in 2022. He went undrafted in '23, but signed with the Cleveland Browns following draft weekend.
McAlister impressed the Browns in training camp, and while he failed to make the active roster immediately, he was able to earn an immediate practice squad spot and climb the depth chart from there. He was activated for three games by season's end with 19 snaps on defense and a bit more experience on special teams.
The same script played out for McCalister the following season in a new locale, as the Denver Broncos afforded the safety the same role as the Browns. He slowly ascended the depth chart there to earn some gameday activations from the PS and was once again available for three games in '24.
In 2025, McCalister tried to make the New York Jets, but was cut before rosters were due and waited for the phone to ring until the Chiefs made an offer with a few weeks remaining. Then came the revolving door that led to this point.
The Chiefs have had some real luck finding strong scheme fits with hardworking players who end up making an unexpected impact via special teams. Perhaps McCalister will be the latest find for Dave Toub and K.C.'s special teams unit.