Kansas City Chiefs final roster cuts: Here are the surprises on KC’s 53-man roster

The Kansas City Chiefs announced their 53-man roster late Tuesday afternoon, and it offered a few surprises.

For one, undrafted rookie tackle Ethan Driskell made the team, while veteran tackle Lucas Niang did not. Driskell, a 6-foot-8 lineman out of Marshall, had a highlight block in preseason Week 2 while opening up running back Deneric Prince for a big gain.

Niang, meanwhile, was in his fourth season after being selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

KC also kept undrafted free-agent cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace. The 5-foot-11 rookie out of USC could be insurance if the Chiefs need him to play slot corner — a position held by Trent McDuffie last season before L’Jarius Sneed was traded in March.

The Chiefs kept 26 offensive players and 24 on defense to go with their three specialists.

Here’s a look at the entire Chiefs’ 53-man roster, broken down by position:

Quarterback (2)

Patrick Mahomes, Carson Wentz

Running back (3)

Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Carson Steele

Receiver (7)

Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster

Tight end (4)

Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Jared Wiley, Peyton Hendershot

Offensive line (10)

Kingsley Suamataia, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Jawaan Taylor, Mike Caliendo, Hunter Nourzad, Wanya Morris, CJ Hanson, Ethan Driskell

Defensive tackles (4)

Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Tershawn Wharton, Mike Pennel

Defensive ends (5)

George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, Malik Herring, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Cameron Thomas

Linebackers (5)

Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Leo Chenal, Jack Cochrane, Cam Jones

Cornerbacks (6)

Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson, Nic Jones, Chris Roland-Wallace

Safeties (4)

Justin Reid, Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner, Jaden Hicks

Specialists (3)

Harrison Butker, Matt Araiza, James Winchester

2:23 p.m. update: Toney, Prince cut

Chiefs receiver and Super Bowl hero Kadarius Toney was cut Tuesday as part of the team’s required roster trimming, a source told The Star’s Sam McDowell.

The Chiefs also cut running back Deneric Prince, a source told McDowell, and undrafted rookie linebacker Swayze Bozeman, according to a Star source. Should he clear waivers, Bozeman will be a candidate for the team’s practice squad.

Other Chiefs decisions reported elsewhere: NFL insider Jordan Schultz said KC had cut receiver Justyn Ross and running back Louis Rees-Zammit, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Chiefs had cut tight end Irv Smith Jr.

In addition, Schultz reported that undrafted rookie running back Carson Steele had made the team.

The Chiefs also made a trade Tuesday afternoon, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, acquiring Dallas Cowboys tight end Peyton Hendershot for a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick. The 25-year-old Hendershot, a 2022 undrafted rookie out of Indiana, has 15 combined catches the last two seasons for 141 yards with two touchdowns while also playing 397 snaps on special teams.

Toney, acquired from the New York Giants in a 2022 trade, had his best moment for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, returning a punt 65 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles to set up a KC touchdown. NFL Next Gen Stats said the play increased the Chiefs’ win-probability percentage from 66.5% to 79.6%.

The 25-year-old Toney struggled last year with injuries and drops, however, then didn’t impress the team enough with his work at training camp.

KC and all other NFL teams had to get their rosters down to 53 players by Tuesday’s 3 p.m. Central deadline. The Chiefs also will set their 16-man practice squad later this week.

The Star’s Sam McDowell contributed to this report.