The Kansas City Chiefs officially placed rookie second-round draft pick Omarr Norman-Lott on injured reserve on Tuesday. This comes after Norman-Lott suffered a torn ACL during the Week 7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The rookie defensive tackle will see his inaugural NFL season end prematurely, having played just five regular-season games, recording five total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack.
It remains to be seen what the Chiefs do to compensate for Norman-Lott’s loss at the defensive tackle position, as the corresponding roster move doesn’t seek to replace the rookie. In addition to placing Norman-Lott on injured reserve, the Chiefs signed CB Kevin Knowles from the practice squad to the active roster.
Why are the Chiefs signing CB Kevin Knowles to the 53-man roster?
The Chiefs don’t currently have any cornerback injuries that we’re aware of, so the decision to sign Knowles is surprising. They’ve got two players eligible to return from injured reserve and another eligible to return from the non-football injury list. They also have plenty of defensive tackles who could be promoted from the practice squad.
This decision might tip off an unknown injury or a forthcoming roster move at the trade deadline at the cornerback position. It could also signal that other teams were looking to poach Knowles off the Chiefs’ practice squad, potentially. They did lose Jammie Robinson to the Lions just last week. It could also simply be a matter of giving Dave Toub another guy on special teams.
Chiefs CB Kevin Knowles Quick Facts
Knowles is a 2025 NFL undrafted free agent out of Florida State University. He played in 50 games across four seasons with the Seminoles, recording 113 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, and 11 passes defended. He was a preseason standout in Kansas City, blocking an extra point against the Chicago Bears.
When the Chiefs activated Rashee Rice to the 53-man roster, Toub lost Jason Brownlee. Knowles would give Toub another player on kick and punt coverage units. He has also proven to be one of the team’s best options on the kick block team in the post-Justin Reid era.
The Chiefs now have an open spot on the practice squad with Knowles’ promotion to the active roster. Expect them to add another player there soon.
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