The Kansas City Chiefs attempted to claim a player released by an AFC West rival.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs were among eight teams to place a waiver claim on former Los Angeles Chargers DT Jerry Tillery. The former first-round draft pick out of Notre Dame was claimed by the Las Vegas Raiders, who have very high waiver priority given their poor record this season. The other six teams to place a claim besides Kansas City and Las Vegas were the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and the New York Giants.
Eight teams – Las Vegas, Detroit, Carolina, Indianapolis, San Francisco, New York Jets, New York Giants, and Kansas City – put in waiver claims for former Chargers’ first-round pick Jerry Tillery, who was assigned to the Raiders.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 14, 2022
It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that Kansas City at least placed a waiver claim. There is literally no downside in attempting to claim a player, even if it’s highly unlikely they fall to you. It’s been Brett Veach’s modus operandi to try and reclaim former first-round draft picks during his tenure with the Chiefs. He didn’t work out in Los Angeles for whatever reason, but that doesn’t mean he won’t work elsewhere.
Tillery, in particular, had a solid showing against Kansas City in his career with Los Angeles. He recorded 12 total tackles, two tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits across seven career games played. That fact likely made him an appealing option for the Raiders as well.
