The Kansas City Chiefs have begun to part ways with some veteran players following the 2020 NFL Draft.
According to a report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano and confirmed by the Kansas City Star’s Herbie Teope, the Chiefs will release QB Kyle Shurmur. This is the first player the team has reportedly released following the draft. The move did not appear in today’s transaction report, so expect it to become official in the coming days.
Shurmur joined Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He didn’t make the roster after a training camp battle with veteran QB Chad Henne. Instead, he joined the practice squad where he spent most of the season with the Chiefs. Shurmur was elevated to the 53-man roster at one point during the 2019 season when Patrick Mahomes went down with a kneecap injury, acting as the primary backup for QB Matt Moore.
#Chiefs are releasing QB Kyle Shurmur, a source confirms and as @DanGrazianoESPN initially reported.
Leaves the team with Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne and Jordan Ta'amu as the QBs on the offseason roster.
— Herbie Teope (@HerbieTeope) April 27, 2020
This opens the door, at the very least, for newcomer Jordan Ta’amu to make the team in some capacity. Ta’amu joined the Chiefs in free agency after being one of the top passers in the XFL for the St. Louis BattleHawks.
“I sure liked what I saw on tape and on TV from him,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid said in his pre-draft press conference. “He looks like he’s a talented kid. I’m looking forward to getting him on board.”
Whether he makes the 53-man roster or the practice squad, the lack of competition from Shurmur makes it highly likely that we’ll see him stick in Kansas City.
The timing of this is a little unique as Kansas City signed Shurmur’s former teammate, WR Kalija Lipscomb, to an undrafted free-agent contract just a day ago. If you’re looking for a potential landing spot for Shurmur, don’t rule out the Broncos. His father, Pat Shurmur, is currently the offensive coordinator there.
This also won’t be the last player released by the Chiefs in the coming days, as their roster currently stands at 94 players with draft picks and undrafted free agent signings.