Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs sign old friend to reinforce linebacker depth amid injuries

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Charles Goldman | Last updated 10/31/23

The Kansas City Chiefs made a move at the trade deadline, it just wasn't a trade.

According to the NFL's personnel notice on Tuesday, the Chiefs signed LB Darius Harris from the Las Vegas Raiders' practice squad. This comes one day after the Chiefs tried a similar tactic on Monday, with a failed attempt to sign LB Ben Niemann from the Denver Broncos' practice squad. Denver chose to promote him to the active roster instead of losing him, to which many fans in Kansas City are thankful.

Why did the Chiefs choose to sign Harris? Well, they're going through some serious attrition at the linebacker position, which was a big-time strength for the team early on.

Well, there was one move. Just not a trade. After striking out with #Broncos LB Ben Niemann on Monday, the #Chiefs signed LB Darius Harris off the #Raiders' practice squad. https://t.co/rpxmD8saO7
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) October 31, 2023

Nick Bolton was placed on injured reserve and will miss three more games before he can be designated to return. Willie Gay Jr. suffered a tailbone injury in Week 8, which sounds like it could cause him to miss some time. Cole Christiansen is on the practice squad injured list. The team also just waived LB Isaiah Moore from the practice squad with an injury waiver after adding him back to the practice squad just recently.

Harris comes to Kansas City having spent 2019-2022 with the Chiefs. He first joined the team out of the 2019 NFL draft as an undrafted free agent in Middle Tennessee. Last year, Harris helped the Chiefs hold down the fort while Gay Jr. was serving a four-game suspension. He appeared in all 17 regular-season games, but he drew four starts, recording 43 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, and a pass defended in that span.

Now, Harris will likely be asked to fill in for Gay Jr. again and contribute on special teams as well. I'm told he was in line to earn some opportunities with Las Vegas, but he chose to return to Kansas City instead, knowing he'd be competing for another Super Bowl title.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: