Fueled by their highest position in years in the NFL's annual waiver wire order, sitting at No. 9 overall before the 2026 season, the Kansas City Chiefs leaned on that top-10 spot to claim two intriguing players who'd been released the day before.
The Chiefs officially claimed two defenders: defensive tackle Bryson Eason and defensive end Jack Pyburn. The team must submit corresponding moves to make room for them on the 53-man roster before they can officially join the team.
Eason joins the Chiefs after spending the preseason with the San Francisco 49ers. He's a 6-2, 323 lb. interior defender who spent six seasons at Tennessee before turning pro. Eason had 22 tackles for loss in his final three seasons for the Vols as a starter up front. He added another 4.5 sacks and 5 pass deflections. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had a sixth-round grade on the tackle and wrote, "Though I don't see a super-high ceiling, he can provide scheme-versatile depth on the defensive line."
The Chiefs rarely get to claim a player this early in the waiver order, and Brett Veach took full advantage with two preseason grabs.
Pyburn spent his final collegiate season at LSU after three years with Florida State and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. He led the NFL in preseason sacks with 4, so he turned some heads over the last month. But an interesting wrinkle here is that Pyburn was one of 30 players in a recent lawsuit allowing players to return to college. Pyburn also received a sixth-round grade from Brugler.
Not only did the Chiefs add a couple of players, but they also saw three familiar faces claimed by other teams. First, running back Emari Demercado was a surprise cut for the Chiefs on Sunday evening, after the Chiefs decided to go with only three RBs on the active roster. He was claimed by the Dallas Cowboys.
The Chiefs also lost offensive tackle Chu Godrick, who was one of seven players claimed by the Miami Dolphins, which means they won't have an extra player on the practice squad via the International Player Pathways exemption.
Finally, the Tennessee Titans, and old friend Mike Borgonzi, claimed Chiefs cornerback Melvin Smith Jr., who had himself a nice preseason before being released. He was a good bet to return to the practice squad if available and joins a former teammate, Joshua Williams, in the secondary.
Add us as a preferred source on Google