The Kansas City Chiefs had a player return to the lineup in Week 16, but they also had a player make his debut with the team.
Veteran TE Blake Bell returned to the lineup after being activated to the 53-man roster from injured reserve. Veteran DT Danny Shelton played after being elevated to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Both players would appear in their first regular season game since the 2021 NFL season.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid liked what he saw from both players in the limited number of snaps they played.
“Yeah, so it was good to get Blake (Bell) back in and work,” Reid said. “He didn’t have a ton of snaps, but he had enough to help. Danny (Shelton) I thought was kind of in that same situation, not a ton of snaps, but he did a nice job when called on. Can I tell what’s going (to happen)? No. You’ll get Khalen Saunders back, and so how does that fit with Danny’s situation? Blake, he’ll probably still be in the rotation there. But Danny, I can’t tell you how that will go for him, but we sure are glad to have him. He’s a great kid and a good football player.”
It sounds like Bell will continue to work back into the lineup for Kansas City and could see an increased number of snaps in the final two weeks of the regular season. He’s been a vital piece of the offense as a blocker and a ball carrier on quarterback sneaks in his previous seasons with the team.
As for Shelton, he’ll continue on the practice squad as a key depth piece for the defense. Khalen Saunders is expected to return this week after dealing with an illness, which likely means that Shelton won’t be elevated from the practice squad for Week 17. Other illnesses and injuries could pop up along the interior defensive line, which makes Shelton’s snaps in Week 16 all the more important going forward.
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