The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to take firm control of the AFC West.
They will do just that with a win over the Denver Broncos Sunday. That would give the Chiefs the season sweep and tiebreaker. It would also put them at 4-0 inside the division. However, a loss will make things uncomfortably tight.
The Chiefs announced they have signed cornerback Melvin Smith to an active 53-man roster contract. They are also elevating defensive end Tyreke Smith from the practice squad to the active roster for their matchup against the Broncos.
Melvin Smith spent all of training camp and preseason with the Chiefs, but sustained a rib injury in the final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks . That led to him being cut, and eventually landing with the Tennessee Titans . However, he was shortly released by Tennessee, and was re-signed by Kansas City to the practice squad.
Smith signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent during the 2025 offseason. He impressed enough to make the practice squad, where he spent most of the year. Smith was promoted to the 53-man roster in Week 17, but was inactive for each of the final two regular season games. He impressed yet again during camp and preseason in 2026 before getting hurt.
Tyreke Smith is entering his second season with the Chiefs. Like Melvin, he spent most of 2025 on the practice squad, and was elevated to the active roster for the final two games. Unfortunately, he did not play in either. Smith has also spent time on the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals ' practice squads, and doesn't have much regular season experience.
Kansas City's secondary will be a bit thin as Delane is out with a shoulder injury , and Sneed was placed on injured reserve. Delane aggravated his right shoulder, which he has had issues with since back in OTAs, during practice this week. Kristian Fulton will likely start in his place.
Sneed has a history of knee issues throughout his career, and hasn't been able to practice much. He will now sit out at least the next four games, per injured reserve rules. That could be a blessing in disguise for the veteran, who has struggled in coverage for much of the season.
The Chiefs also announced that defensive end R Mason Thomas will travel separately from the team to Denver due to personal reasons . He is expected to play, but Tyreke Smith being elevated from the practice squad is likely insurance in case Thomas has a setback.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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