The Kansas City Chiefs have added a couple of new faces to the team's practice squad with only one game left to play on the 2025 regular-season schedule. That's a good sign that the front office and coaching staff want to get a quick look before making overtures to stick around for the long NFL offseason ahead.
On Tuesday, the Chiefs made two defensive additions official with the signing linebacker Kam Arnold and defensive tackle Marcus Harris.
Signing players at this point has led to long-term roster success for some recent Chiefs additions. Tyquan Thornton was added in the second half of the 2024 season and became an important target for the Chiefs offense in 2025. Tight end Robert Tonyan was also a late addition. Fellow tight end Matt Bushman did the same thing in '22 and spent the next two seasons with the franchise.
The Kansas CIty Chiefs added a couple of defensive flyers on the practice squad before Week 18.
The Chiefs added Harris and Arnold after hosting 13 different players for tryouts the previous day:
- Andrew Armstrong — WR — Arkansas
- Isaiah Bolden — DB — Jackson State
- Mason Brooks — G — Mississippi
- Braeden Daniels — G — Utah
- Luke Grimm — WR — Kansas
- Marcus Harris — DT — Auburn
- Clarence Hicks — LB — Texas–San Antonio
- Kobe Hudson — WR — Central Florida
- Zack Kuntz — TE — Old Dominion
- Jordan McCloud — QB — Texas State
- ShunDerrick Powell — RB — Central Arkansas
- Austin Reed — QB — Western Kentucky
- Corey Stewart — T — Purdue
Let's catch up on the latest Chiefs signings:
Kam Arnold, LB
Kam Arnold was an undrafted free agent signed by the Washington Commanders who was unable to make the roster before active roster cuts were due in August.
Arnold joined Washington after making the transition at Boston College from safety to linebacker in the course of his tenure there. Arnold was enjoying a nice breakout season as a captain in 2024 before an injury cut his campaign short after seven games played.
Arnold's background as a defensive back makes him intriguing as a roster flyer hoping to strengthen the Chiefs coverage looks in the second level.
Marcus Harris, DT
Marcus Harris might be a familiar face to some Chiefs fans since he played for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2019-20. He then transferred to Auburn before declaring himself eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans selected him at No. 224 overall in the seventh round, but he has bounced around the NFL since then—including a couple of stints in Houston.
The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills both gave Harris a shot last offseason, with the latter giving him an extended look in training camp. The Texans had him on their practice squad earlier in December, but just released him a week ago and now he's hanging on with the Chiefs going into the offseason.
Harris lacks size but profiles as a potential rotational disruptor, and it's not a bad bet for the Chiefs to make to try to turn over another stone in the hopes of getting younger and more violent inside. Harris had 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in his final season with the Tigers.