Kansas City Chiefs officially activate Richie James from injured reserve

The Kansas City Chiefs have officially activated Richie James from injured reserve.

According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Chiefs made things official on Saturday night leading up to their primetime showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 11.

James joined the Chiefs this offseason as a low-level free-agent flyer on the part of general manager Brett Veach worth just over $1.23 million for a single season. However, despite the low commitment in both time and finances, Veach did speak highly of James this spring, saying how the club has actually showcased an interest in bringing in James for more than a year.

The Chiefs have decided to bring back Richie James from IR for the second half of the season.

James enjoyed a breakout season in 2022 with the New York Giants in Brian Daboll's first season as head coach. (Note that former Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka is the team's offensive coordinator as well.) James was incredibly efficient and caught 57 of 70 targets for a Giants offense that needed someone to step up in the wake of numerous injuries at the position.

Unfortuntely for both player and team, the 2023 season hasn't worked out as hoped for anyone. James has only played in two games because of injuries and even in those games, James was buried on the depth chart with only a single catch and three targets to his credit. He also added a few returns on special teams as well.

The Chiefs officially welcomed James back to practice on November 1 and had a few more days in the 21-day window before having to decide if they wanted to bring him back to the active roster or force him to sit out the year. By bringing him back, the Chiefs are saying they have plans for using him in one or more areas, and it will be interesting to see how he fits into a wide receiver group that's still trying to find their best sorting.