As the 2019 season quickly approaches, Saturday, August 31 at 4 p.m. ET marks the deadline for the Kansas City Chiefs and the other 31 NFL teams to trim their 90-man rosters down to the required 53. The Chiefs and the rest of the league have one final preseason game left to give those few players on the depth chart one last shot to prove they belong in the NFL.
All week 4 preseason games will be played on Thursday evening starting at 7 p.m. ET.
From a player standpoint, things may look pretty bleak if they failed to make the most of the previous three preseason games. Crazy things have happened, however; injuries along with other circumstances sometimes allow the next man up to actually make the final roster.
For Kansas City, those players at the bottom of the depth chart will get the chance to do just that when they head to Lambeau to face the Green Bay Packers.
While Head Coach Andy Reid has let Patrick Mahomes and the starters play a decent amount of time the past three games, that won’t be the case this week. Reid said backup quarterbacks Chase Litton and undrafted rookie Kyle Shurmur will each play a half on Thursday night. Both QBs will be duking it out for the team’s third-string quarterback spot on the roster.
Here are some other players competing for some last-minute success to avoid the team’s roster bubble:
Carlos Hyde: The strong performances from Damien Williams, rookie Darwin Thompson, and Darrel Williams has caused Hyde to slip down the depth chart recently. Despite being involved with the starting offense the first two preseason games, he didn’t appear until late in the fourth quarter last week against the 49ers, and he was barely involved at all in the game.
Gehrig Dieter: Dieter has been inactive for much of the preseason with a back injury he sustained during training camp almost a month ago (7/29). His absence has given the opportunity for Cody Thompson to shine this preseason and make his case for a spot in the receiving core. Thompson currently leads the Chiefs in receptions this preseason with 10. Dieter will be inactive again against the Packers, and if he doesn’t get put on IR, could be on his way out of Kansas City.
Cameron Irving: Struggling to make it as a backup offensive tackle, Irving got quality reps with the starting offensive line at left guard against the 49ers. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the starter, however, with Jeff Allen back on the roster and Andrew Wylie making strides this year, the Chiefs could be allowing Irving the final chance to prove his keep when it comes to protecting Mahomes.
Dorian O’Daniel: Deep on the depth chart, O’Daniel has had his opportunities but hasn’t seemed to find his fit within the Chiefs system, even in Spagnulo’s 4-3 scheme that many thought he’d thrive in. Final cuts less than a week away, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where O’Daniel fits in the Chiefs’ linebacking core. Especially with Anthony Hitchens, Reggie Ragland and Damien Wilson as likely starters and Darren Lee and Ben Niemann both making strong cases to make the final 53.
The final act of the 2019 NFL preseason will commence on Thursday night and at One Arrowhead Drive, the pressure is on General Manager Brett Veach and Head Coach Andy Reid, who have until Saturday at 4 p.m. ET to evaluate their roster and make their final cuts.
For the players, this means they have one last shot to make some plays that prove to the coaches they earned their spot in the NFL.
Thursday night will be something to watch.
