Chiefs Cut Undrafted Rookie to Make Room for Former Bengals LB: Report

The Kansas City Chiefs made an adjustment to their linebacker room on Friday, July 26, by releasing LB Luquay Washington and signing linebacker Owen Carney, according to Nick Jacobs of KSHB 41 News.

Washington was an undrafted free agent who signed with Kansas City on April 28. He participated in the team’s organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps but didn’t stay with the team long enough to put on pads during training camp.

Carney, 25, signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Miami cut him before the 2022 regular season, and the Cincinnati Bengals signed him to their practice squad on November 29 of that year.

After signing a Reserve/Future contract with Cincinnati in January 2023, Carney stuck with the team until August 29, when he was waived.

Carney joins a linebacker room in Kansas City that includes Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Leo Chenal, Cam Jones, Jack Cochrane, Cole Christianson, Curtis Jacobs, and Swayze Bozeman.

Kingsley Suamataia Turns Heads on First Day of Padded Practices

One of the most notable takeaways from Kansas City’s first padded practice on Friday, July 26 was rookie second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia running with the first-team offense. Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star was at training camp and wrote about what he saw during team drills.

“Kingsley Suamataia, the team’s second-round pick out of BYU, opened team drills with the first team at left tackle. Previously at training camp, second-year player Wanya Morris had gotten the first reps,” Newell wrote on July 26.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid praised Suamataia after Friday’s practice.

“I thought he did a nice job for what I saw,” Reid said during his press conference. “I mean, I’ve got to go up and look at it [on tape], see where we’re at. He’s working through some things and learning. As long as he keeps working — and this goes for all of them — if they keep working, we’ll be fine.”

Though it is still very early in training camp, it appears that Suamataia is very much in play to be the team’s starting left tackle for the 2024 regular season. That’s not a surprise given that the team drafted him to compete for a starting role as a rookie.

Instead, it’s a reminder that the Chiefs have no clear front-runner to protect Patrick Mahomes‘s blindside come September.

Hopefully, either Suamataia or Morris can separate themself from the other and prove to the team’s long-term plan at left tackle.

Patrick Mahomes Praised Kingsley Suamataia at Start of Camp

Speaking to the media on July 17 — the day after rookies and quarterbacks reported to training camp — Mahomes praised Suamataia for his ability to learn quickly in the few months he’s been with the Chiefs.

“He got better and better, and he wasn’t scared of the moment,” Mahomes said of Suamataia during his press conference on July 17. “I think that’s a big thing. I remember me coming in as a rookie, I didn’t even get thrown in with the ones like that. He’s coming straight in from Combine training, getting thrown in with the ones, and he’s competing. “He’s not making the same mistakes twice, and I think that’s huge. The pads will come on, that’s another step in the journey for him, but I think he’s excited for it, honestly. We’ll see where we’ll at, we’ll keep building and try to see, like I said, who comes out on top at the end of the competition.”