Chiefs news: Cornell Powell is hoping he's a late bloomer once again

The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to overhaul the wide receiver position this offseason but one of the first moves of the winter has been to bring back a familiar face. Per the NFL's transaction wire, the Chiefs have re-signed wideout Cornell Powell to the offseason roster—which is allowed to reach up to 90 players.

Powell will be a familiar face to anyone who has followed the Chiefs through their current dynasty. He was the team's fifth-round selection back in 2021 out of Clemson.

With a forgettable career to date, Powell's re-signing is a bit of a surprise for a unit that could use an influx of fresh faces, but the Chiefs are at least interested to see what Powell can do if given one more offseason of work with the team.

The Chiefs have brought back Powell for another offseason after three forgettable years with the team.

Powell never made it to the regular season with the Chiefs back in his rookie year as he was released coming out of the preseason. He earned a place on the team's practice squad and that's where he's languished for the last three seasons—save for appearances on special teams in three games back in 2022.

If there's any hope here for Powell, it can be found in his own history as a highly-touted recruit who ended up being passed over by several players at Clemson on the depth chart. However, as a redshirt senior, Powell ended up making a significant impact with 53 catches and 882 yards and 7 touchdowns and the Chiefs signed his name to a draft card months later.

At this point, Powell is at least a known quantity for Dave Toub and should be trusted with special teams duties if called upon. That gives him a place on the practice squad should something happen to the likes of Justin Watson.