The Kansas City Chiefs were way over the 90-man roster limit after their 2025 draft picks and reported UDFA signings, and that means roster cuts must occur before those moves can become official.
A portion of those cuts was revealed on the evening of April 30 via KPRC 2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson.
“Chiefs release Anthony Firkser [and] Shaun Bradley, waive Baylor Cupp, McKade Mettauer [and] Jason Taylor, [and] receive [an] international exemption for tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick,” Wilson relayed on X.
None of these decisions necessarily come as a surprise, but the headliner is probably Cupp.
Last summer, the undrafted rookie tight end caught the attention of the coaching staff and was awarded a spot on the practice squad. Unfortunately, Cupp suffered an injury in September that sidelined him for a large chunk of the regular season, but he returned down the stretch and made his Chiefs debut in Week 14.
Turning just 25 years old on May 10, the 6-foot-6 Cupp had the feel of a developmental prospect that could potentially make the 53-man roster in 2025 or 2026, but that’s certainly less likely now.
Knowing head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach, one can never close the door on Kansas City reuniting with a player they like, but the organization did elect to bring in two new UDFA tight ends in place of Cupp. That’s a bad sign for the summer standout potentially returning at a later date.
Chiefs Cuts Include Veteran Depth, 2 Newcomers & an Injured Prospect
The other four roster cuts make a whole lot of sense. The veteran tight end, Firkser, got the most run with the Chiefs in 2024.
The NFL journeyman was a common practice squad elevation toward the end of the season as KC dealt with several injuries at tight end. He mostly served as a run blocker and depth TE.
Although the Chiefs seemed to trust Firkser’s experience more than Cupp’s upside most weeks last season, the 30-year-old was always just a fill-in. Now that 2024 draft pick Jared Wiley is getting healthy and the depth has been restocked, there’s just no need for Firkser anymore.
Similarly, this is a “we hardly knew you” moment for Bradley and Taylor.
Kansas City signed both the veteran linebacker and safety to reserve/future contracts in January, but neither factored in any games.
Finally, Mettauer was a 2024 UDFA offensive lineman who suffered a season-ending injury last August. Like Cupp, both Mettauer and Taylor were placed on waivers, while Firkser and Bradley were released and are free to sign anywhere.
Godrick also gets an international exemption once again, meaning he does not count toward the 90-man roster.
Chiefs Reportedly Sign 16 UDFAs After the NFL Draft
A long list of undrafted signings were linked to the Chiefs last weekend. And while we don’t officially know which players are guaranteed to sign contracts until they actually do, it’s a good bet that the UDFAs with financial guarantees will make the initial 90-man roster.
As of now, those rookies are guard Dalton Cooper, tight end Jake Briningstool, punter Eddie Czaplicki, cornerback Kevin Knowles, running back Elijah Young, and defensive tackle Coziah Izzard.
There were also undrafted signings reported on by NFL insiders and agencies without public financials:
- Cornerback Jacobe Covington.
- Linebacker Brandon George and wide receiver Mac Dalena.
- Safety Glendon Miller.
And then there were undrafted signings reported on by the schools and local news teams:
- Cornerback Melvin Smith Jr.
- Offensive tackle Esa Pole.
- Running back Qualan Jones.
- Safety Will Brooks.
- Tight end Tre Watson.
- Wide receiver Elijhah Badger.
If all of these signings are finalized, then the Chiefs will still have a few more roster spots to clear with cuts.
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