The NFL is expected to adopt a smaller offseason roster in the coming days. Typically, teams carry 90 players during the offseason, but rosters could be limited to 80 players or less for training camp in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The NFL and NFLPA recently agreed to cancel the 2020 NFL preseason. That already creates a huge difficulty for new players on the roster because they won’t have an opportunity to put some work on tape. Now, some players might not even get an opportunity to prove themselves during training camp.
Training camp is set to officially kickoff for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, with strength and conditioning beginning for rookies. That means the Chiefs could be forced to make some decisions soon.
Here are 10 guesses at who could be among the first players to go if the offseason roster size shrinks in Kansas City and around the league:
RB Elijah McGuire
McGuire joined the Chiefs’ practice squad in November of the 2019 season when the team was dealing with some ticky-tacky injuries at the running back position. He’d stick with the team through Super Bowl LIV and would eventually sign a reserve/future deal with the team to return in 2020.
There is already a logjam of running backs in Kansas City. McGuire is a talented running back, that fits what the Chiefs like to do in the receiving game. It’s still hard to find any situation where McGuire makes the 53-man roster. He’s not even a lock to make the practice squad. If the Chiefs have to start trimming their 90-man roster ahead of camp, McGuire will be one of the players who has to go.