Chiefs’ roster tracker: Who attended practice on Tuesday, the day of NFL cuts?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs began roster cuts ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man NFL deadline at 3 p.m. CT
- Quarterback Bailey Zappe waived after preseason appearances and prior squad time
- Zappe slotted behind Chris Oladokun following two interceptions versus Cardinals
The Chiefs and other NFL teams are waiving players this week ahead of the league-wide deadline for getting rosters down to the regular-season limit of 53 men.
That deadline arrives at 3 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday.
Follow along with the Chiefs’ cuts here as they formulate their roster (and establish a practice squad) ahead of their Friday, Sept. 5 season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Tuesday: Chiefs release veteran safety
The Chiefs will release veteran safety Mike Edwards, according to a report by Pelissero. Edwards spent 2023 with the Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl ring, and was with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.
Edwards’ highlight with the Chiefs: a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown in a 13-12 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2023 regular-season finale.
Cooper McDonald will make team
The Chiefs will keep linebacker Cooper McDonald, according to the Schultz Report. McDonald was a rookie minicamp tryout player. As one of more than 50 tryout players, the odds were stacked against him.
But McDonald excelled during training camp and preseason games. In an interview with the Chiefs’ broadcast team during last Friday’s game against the Chicago Bears, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach tipped his hand, calling McDonald, “a name Chiefs Kingdom should get very familiar with.”
Esa Pole does not make the roster
Undrafted Washington State tackle Esa Pole impressed throughout training camp and the preseason, but it wasn’t enough to earn a spot on Kansas City’s initial roster, a source told The Star’s Sam McDowell.
McDowell added that the Chiefs also waived both cornerback Kevin Knowles and former Kansas State and Olathe East defensive end Nate Matlack. Like Pole, Knowles could be a candidate for Kansas City’s practice squad.
Linebacker Cam Jones waived
According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, The Chiefs are waiving linebacker Cam Jones, who has appeared in all 34 regular-season games over the past two seasons. He’s been a special teams regular, playing 67% of the snaps over the past two years.
Players who are waived can be claimed by another team and if they’re not claimed by noon on Wednesday they become free agents.
Fan-favorite running back Carson Steele has been cut
According to Wilson, second-year running back Carson Steele, the undrafted free agent who was the talk of the 2024 preseason, did not make the 2025 initial roster.
The writing was on the wall for Steele in the Chiefs’ preseason finale, when he did not see a touch until the fourth quarter.
Who practiced with Chiefs on Tuesday?
The Chiefs held a practice on Tuesday, with reporters allowed to watch for about 10 minutes. NFL teams had to finalize their 53-man rosters some 90 minutes later.
Seeing a player at practice doesn’t guarantee him a spot on the team. But it helps.
Players on the roster bubble who practiced with the Chiefs Tuesday included running back Elijah Mitchell, cornerback Joshua Williams, defensive end Malik Herring and wide receivers Nikko Remigio and Jason Brownlee.
Monday: Bailey Zappe waived
The Chiefs trimmed their quarterback room by waiving Bailey Zappe on Monday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
After a rough first outing, throwing two interceptions in the Chiefs’ preseason debut at the Arizona Cardinals, Zappe got slotted behind fellow QB Chris Oladokun for the next two games.
This story was originally published August 25, 2025 at 3:54 PM.