It’s that time of the year again. After a regular season that saw the Kansas City Chiefs play other Super Bowl contenders and battle through injuries, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are gearing up for the 2025 NFL playoffs.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champions have earned a bye to the Divisional Round by clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which means they’ll comfortably watch from home as other teams battle it out in the Wild Card roudn.
However, that doesn’t mean the Chiefs are staying quiet. Shortly after the regular season finale, the front office made a couple of moves by releasing a player to bring back a familiar face.
The NFL‘s daily transaction wire and personnel notice shows that Kansas City has terminated the practice squad contract of linebacker Blake Lynch, which paved the way for the return of wide receiver Montrell Washington to the scout team.
Montrell Washington #12 of the Kansas City Chiefs returns a punt in the second quarter of a game against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Chiefs cut Lynch to bring back Washington to practice squad
Washington, who has been around the team since 2023, was cut to make room for Lynch ahead of Week 18, as the linebacker was elevated from the Chiefs’ practice squad to the active roster for the 2024 NFL regular season finale.
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The 27-year-old turned out to be one of the team’s few bright spots on Sunday, with Lynch being the Chiefs’ highest-graded player of the 38-0 loss to the Broncos. However, his performance in Denver wasn’t enough to secure him a spot at Arrowhead.
Chiefs add depth at WR
Instead, the Chiefs are bringing back a player who might be helpful for Reid and Mahomes down the stretch. Even though Washington was activated for just one game in 2024―returning one kickoff for 14 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8―he’s proven useful for the Chiefs in the past.
Last year, the wideout logged 39 combined snaps, returning eight punts for 61 yards along with a 20-yard kickoff return. After all, the 25-year-old is familiar with the system, and that matters to Reid. Let’s keep in mind that the Chiefs wide receiver room has been hit by injuries throughout the year, so having depth at WR could come in handy for Mahomes during the playoffs.
