In the wake of losing DT Tershawn Wharton to a torn ACL, the Kansas City Chiefs are promoting one of their own from the practice squad to replace him.
According to NFL agent Brett Tessler, the Chiefs have signed DT Taylor Stallworth to the 53-man roster. A free agent acquisition this offseason after spending time with both the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts, Stallworth has 50 career NFL games under his belt. In 2021, he had his most productive season yet with the Colts with 16 combined tackles, three sacks, 22 total pressures and one pass batted.
During the preseason in Kansas City this year, Stallworth was a pleasant surprise, producing two sacks and five total pressures. The performance wasn’t enough to earn him a roster spot as he was released during 53-man roster cuts and signed to the practice squad.
The Kansas City Chiefs just signed my client Taylor Stallworth to their 53-man roster. 5th year veteran DT has been on their practice squad the last 5 weeks and spent the last couple seasons w/the Indianapolis Colts where he was a valuable member of their d-line rotation.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) October 12, 2022
Stallworth patiently waited for his opportunity with the Chiefs and it appears that he’ll now have it. He could prove to be a valuable member of the defensive line rotation in Kansas City moving forward with Wharton out of the picture. Wharton had played 140 defensive snaps on the season so far, so there should be some snaps to go around.
It’s worth noting that Wharton hasn’t been placed on injured reserve yet, but you can expect that to potentially be the corresponding move to free up space on the 53-man roster for Stallworth. There are also a number of other moves the team could look to make this week with Trent McDuffie expected to make his return from injured reserve.