Tracking the Kansas City Chiefs 2024 practice squad
By Matt Conner
Here are the players who have been signed to the Chiefs' initial practice squad for the 2024 season.
The league's deadline for final roster cuts before the start of another regular season is perhaps the most brutal day of all in the National Football League. While the releases will start in the days leading up to Tuesday's deadline, the truth is that the majority of rosters will be trimmed down from a robust 90-man roster down to only 53 by each team in a single afternoon.
By 4:00 p.m. E.T. on Tuesday, the league mandates that each team informs over 30 players apiece that they're getting the pink slip. It's a stomach punch of a day knowing that it's the end of the road for soem rookies who never made their dreams come true and other veterans who have to face the music that the sport has moved on from them entirely.
Of course, it's not the absolute end for some players and that's why the practice squad is so nice to see for each team—knowing that a team like the Kansas City Chiefs can bring back several players to stick around in a reserve-type of capacity.
How many players can be on the practice squad?
Speaking of total players, a team is allowed to have 16 total players—rookies and vets— on their practice squads for the year with a 17th spot allowed if the team has been working with an international prospect through the IPP (International Player Pathways) program. For the Chiefs, that's someone like returner Louis Rees-Zammit.
Are there limits for players who qualify for the practice squad?
Yes. What a great question!
A practice squad can include 16 players, but those players must fit certain criteria in terms of accrued playing time in the league. Each NFL team can carry six players with any amount of experience to their name. From there, another four players can have two accrued seasons of playing time or less. From there, every other player must have zero accrued seasons of experience or a single season with less than 9 games active.
There's one further exception and that's the special international slot mentioned earlier.
How does the waiver wire process work?
Practice squad players can be claimed or signed following the league's waiver wire process which happens at noon E.T. on Wednesday. From there, teams can add whoever they want, including players who were with other teams if they can convince them to do so. However, most spots generally go to familiar players who were invested in the team's training camp and preseason regimen.
While the Chiefs had to let several players go on a permanent basis this week, they were able to keep some promising players around for this year's practice squad.
Meet the Chiefs initial practice squad for 2024
- Emani Bailey, RB
- Swayze Bozeman, LB
- Deon Bush, S
- Cole Christiansen, LB
- Baylor Cupp, TE
- Matt Dickerson, DT
- Neil Farrell, DT
- Chu Godrick, OL (IPP exemption)
- Keaontay Ingram, RB
- Truman Jones, DE
- Fabien Lovett, DT
- Lucas Niang, OT
- Nikko Remigio, WR
- Justyn Ross, WR
- Keith Taylor, OT
- Montrell Washington, WR
- Bailey Zappe, QB
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