Every year there seem to be a few players who sneak onto the Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man roster after strong performances during training camp and the preseason.
Last season, Brett Veach indicated that four players managed to play their way onto the 53-man roster. Which players could be in line to have similar types of performances in the coming weeks and play their way onto the initial 53-man roster for the 2023 NFL season?
We’ll take a look at a few key candidates down below:
TE Matt Bushman
Andy Reid has already spoken about the team potentially carrying an extra tight end with no designated fullback on the 90-man offseason roster. Matt Bushman was a star in the Chiefs’ final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers last season, but he also suffered a fractured clavicle and wound up on injured reserve. By all accounts, he’s looked very good this offseason and he’s been playing with each of the third-, second- and first-team offenses. If Bushman performs well in training camp and the preseason, he could easily land a roster spot. There’s even potential for him to climb the depth chart and oust a veteran like Blake Bell.
CB Dicaprio Bootle
Bootle could be one of the few players where opportunity and production meet. With both Trent McDuffie (leg stress) and L’Jarius Sneed (knee) sidelined due to injuries during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, the team could look to be cautious at the onset of training camp. That means Dicaprio Bootle could be getting a large portion of the snaps in the team’s nickel and dime defense. Bootle hasn’t shown much to this point in his career, but entering his third NFL season, he could be primed for a step up in terms of performance and production.
WR John Ross
Are the Chiefs fans paying attention to the wrong Ross this offseason? Former Bengals first-round draft pick John Ross has shown traits that could make him an asset on offense and special teams — elite speed and quickness. It was showcased during practice at OTAs and mandatory minicamp on some deep passes with the first-team offense. Andy Reid has always known how to get the best out of receivers with elite speed, so perhaps there is some untapped potential leaving room for Ross to turn his NFL career around in Kansas City.
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Smith-Marsette might have a leg up on some of his competition in the wide receiver room being that he joined the Chiefs’ practice squad last October. The former fifth-round draft pick became a key contributor on the scout team and was even elevated to the 53-man roster a few times late in the year to play on offense and special teams. He certainly looked good catching passes against air with Patrick Mahomes in Texas this offseason. He could graduate to getting consistent work with the first-team offense by training camp, especially if they continue to be cautious with Kadarius Toney.
DE Joshua Kaindoh
Everyone has seemingly written off Kaindoh this offseason, but it’s not unwarranted. He’s made just three game appearances since being selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. During those appearances, he has recorded no official statistics. He was also a healthy scratch in all 20 games last season. A strong performance in training camp and the preseason could be just what the doctor ordered to get Kaindoh back on the right track. Steve Spagnuolo even said on June 1 that he was hopeful that Kaindoh would surface and show signs of improvement this offseason.
DT Matt Dickerson
Dickerson could benefit from Tershawn Wharton’s knee injury. If Wharton starts training camp on the PUP list, the team could have a lot of snaps at the defensive tackle position to go around. With those snaps, comes an opportunity to impress. Dickerson spent most of training camp with Kansas City in 2022, but he was released during 53-man roster cuts. The team intended to bring him back on the practice squad, but he was claimed by the Atlanta Falcons. If Wharton winds up on the Reserve/PUP list to start the season, the team might not even risk Dickerson on waivers again.
