The best player the Chiefs are most likely to cut during roster cuts

To be clear right from the start: the headline is everything here.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a number of fairly high-profile players (thanks, three Super Bowl rings!) on the offseason 90-man roster who are flirting with the possibility of being released in the next few days. But the wording is important here. While some bigger names could have one foot out the door, it’s just as possible those players could be brought back. And that’s not the conversation we’re having.

That’s not to say someone like running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire won’t be released. Or maybe wide receiver Mecole Hardman. As for the former, the Chiefs are already struggling with running back capacity, so how much sense does it make to continue to bring in someone who has ongoing health issues? As for the latter, Hardman hasn’t looked much more inspired than other younger players on special teams or the offense.

Both players also have cheap one-year contracts that can be easily terminated.

But back to our premise. While such cuts possiblethey are not probablyand that is the area of ​​concern here. Among the players that the Chiefs actually rather Who is the best to put on waivers (or to free agency, depending on how many seasons the player has played)? Or the one you could miss the most?

That makes it too difficult to consider the defensive interior when players like Matt Dickerson, Neil Farrell and Fabien Lovett are consistently producing impressive moments in training camp and preseason games. If Kelvin Joseph and Keith Taylor are trading blows in the Chiefs’ secondary, you have to add them to the already long list of contenders. Where does that leave Nic Jones or Christian Roland-Wallace or Ekow Boye-Doe? Too early to tell.

So narrowing down what seems likely, we’re looking at a solid special teams player and veteran defender who was unfortunately pushed off the roster despite putting in big plays for the Chiefs in recent championship seasons. Say hello—or is it goodbye?—to Deon Bush.

As for the safeties, the Chiefs likely signed Bush’s notice when they drafted Jaden Hicks in the fourth round. Hicks was exactly the draft bargain they expected him to be. With Hicks, Justin Reid, Bryan Cook and Chamarri Conner on the roster, there is no room for anyone other than four safeties. That has been the case positionally for the past few years and it should remain that way going forward.

Even those who want to position Conner as a cornerback rather than a safety must remember that the cornerback position is so oversubscribed that it would be foolish for the Chiefs to put Conner there rather than keep a low-cost developmental talent ahead of Bush.

That’s not to say Bush has little or no value. That’s why we’re listing him here to shine a spotlight on a player who will never show up on the stat sheet, but who has nonetheless served as a vitally important “glue” – a role player who does the dirty work on special teams. In fact, it’s to Bush’s great credit that he’s been able to put together such a long career (eight seasons) by persevering as a special teams player.

Bush first signed with the Chiefs in the spring of 2022 and played 16 games for the Chiefs this season, making the vast majority of his appearances as a starter on Dave Toub’s special teams. Last year, Bush found himself in the same predicament, being released during roster cuts only to return to special teams. However, he played six games after being elevated to the active roster midseason.

In the postseason, Bush emerged as an unexpected hero in the final stages of the game with a pass defense and an interception that helped the Chiefs win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game.

For any team looking for a veteran plug-and-play player on special teams, Bush would be an obvious addition, especially since he already has two Super Bowl titles under his belt (and the wisdom and experience that comes with them). But if the Chiefs are lucky, it’s possible Bush will accept another start on the practice squad, knowing that the long road ahead of him could potentially give him more of an impact down the line.