Tag: Darius Harris

Raiders sign former Chiefs starter, Super Bowl champion Darius Harris

The #Chiefs saw one of their 2022 starters sign with an AFC West rival when LB Darius Harris agreed to terms with the #Raiders on Monday.

The Kansas City Chiefs saw one of their top starters in last year’s Super Bowl LVII championship campaign sign with an AFC West rival on Monday when linebacker Darius Harris agreed to terms on a contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Harris, a former Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider, is expected to be an early contributor in Las Vegas’ defense as the storied franchise looks to rebuild after the departure of quarterback Derek Carr in the offseason.

Details of Harris’ new deal are not yet known, but the contract isn’t expected to break the bank for the Raiders, who only have about $5 million in cap space according to overthecap.com.

The fourth-year linebacker made four starts for Kansas City last season, recording 43 combined tackles and tallying one and a half sacks in the Chiefs’ march to the playoffs. He wasn’t so productive in the postseason, though, only racking up four solo tackles in Kansas City’s three-game playoff effort.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Raiders signing former Chiefs LB Darius Harris

Raiders are signing former Chiefs LB Darius Harris

Do you remember last season when the Raiders faced the Chiefs and a little known linebacker named Darius Harris put up a combined 10 tackles and a sack against the Raiders? It seems Josh McDaniels remembers. And it surely played in a hand in the Raiders decision to sign the free agent linebacker.

That was a career game for Harris in just his fifth career start.

Harris went undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2020. He appeared in just 11 games over his first two seasons in Kansas City. Then last season, he would appear in all 17 games, starting four of them.

His eight solo tackles were the most in his career while his 10 combined tackles was tied for the second most. And that sack was the first of his career.

The Raiders are going to find out if that was the start of bigger things for Harris who prior to last season did most of his work on special teams.

Chiefs do not tender restricted free agent LB Darius Harris

The #Chiefs did not tender restricted free agent LB Darius Harris, making him an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year.

The Kansas City Chiefs did not extend a qualifying offer to one of their three restricted free agents.

The team tendered restricted free agent P Tommy Townsend and re-signed restricted free agent DT Tershawn Wharton, but LB Darius Harris wasn’t tendered or re-signed. He has become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the league’s 2023 free agency period on Wednesday afternoon as a result.

A former undrafted free agent signing out of Middle Tennessee in 2019, Harris has become one of the team’s oft-relied-upon backup linebackers and special teamers. He sat out his first season in Kansas City due to an injury, but contributed in each of the past three seasons. During that span, he appeared in 28 games with six starts, recording 58 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two fumbled recoveries and two passes defended.

Brett Veach was very high on Harris coming out, but with five linebackers under contract (Nick Bolton, Willie Gay Jr., Leo Chenal, Jack Cochrane and Cole Christiansen), he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to re-sign the fifth-year player. It’s possible that Harris could still return to Kansas City, but for now, he’ll have a chance to sign with another NFL team.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=217675258]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo ‘fired up’ to see LB Darius Harris play in Week 3

#Chiefs fourth-year LB Darius Harris is set to fill in for Willie Gay Jr. in Week 3. Steve Spagnuolo is excited to see what Harris does with the opportunity. | from @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs were hit with the news of starting linebacker Willie Gay Jr.’s suspension earlier in the week, forcing immediate adjustments on the defensive side of the ball.

The four-week suspension will challenge the team’s depth at the position, but it will also open up opportunities for players that desire more time on the field. One player who will see more playtime this week is fourth-year LB Darius Harris. He has been with the Chiefs organization in some capacity since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019, floating between active roster and practice squad throughout his NFL career.

Steve Spagnuolo believes Harris will be a vital player for this Sunday’s game and beyond as the team deals with the absence of Gay Jr. for the next four weeks.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m fired up to see Darius (Harris) out there,” said Spagnuolo. “I’m really happy for him that he has this opportunity. You’re talking about a guy who’s been here for a number of years. If you remember the first year he was here; it was a ‘redshirt’ year because of his shoulder, I believe. And that’s a long year to go through. And then he came in, and he’s just kind of done this (upward motion) continually as a player. (He) earned himself a right to be on the roster this year, and he’s one of those cerebral guys, so I’m really anxious to see what he can do.”

Harris is one of the players who played his way onto the 53-man roster during the preseason finale. He has a career stat line of 17 tackles and one fumble recovery since 2019, making two career starts in Kansas City.

It’s clear that Harris has the coaching staff’s confidence and is focused on making the most of the latest opportunity. He talked about his mindset heading into Sunday’s game with reporters after Thursday’s practice.

“Practice this week, for me, has kind of been different,” said Harris. “Just stepping into the starting lineup. Obviously, here it’s the ‘next man up’ mentality. Whether it’s this week, next week, or next month – you’ve just got to be ready when your number is called and when the time presents itself. So, just taking the same approach (and) just being dialed in more and kind of just looking at a different position but also just making sure I’m ready come Sunday to help this team win.”

Harris’s determination to make his mark has kept him working behind the scenes for years. He’ll have his moment to shine in Week 3 against a challenging opponent and prove to everyone that he deserves more playing time moving forward.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=none image=https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=136989]

Here’s what Chiefs HC Andy Reid had to say about Willie Gay Jr.’s suspension

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid discussed Willie Gay Jr.’s suspension on Wednesday with comments on the timing of it and which player will get the first crack at replacing Gay Jr. on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without third-year LB Willie Gay Jr. for the next four games due to suspension.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke to the media on Wednesday for the first time since Gay Jr.’s suspension was announced by the league. He provided some insight into the timing of the decision on the suspension, explaining that the team had some advance notice that it was coming.

“So, they went through Brett (Veach),” Reid said. “Probably a better question for Brett. Not sure what we can and can’t say about that. I’ll probably leave it at that. We had an idea, we had a heads up on it.”

The team was aware after Gay Jr.’s off-field incident from last January was resolved that he would be subject to the league’s personal conduct policy. Reid said they expected something would happen and they did their best to be ready now that it has.

“We had an idea something was going to happen,” Reid said. “So we tried to prepare for it as best we can in case it did.”

The team has five linebackers on the 53-man roster and another on the practice squad, so they’re certainly not hurting for depth at the position.

One big concern with this entire situation is Gay Jr.’s mental health. He’s been open with his mental health struggles since last October and recently opened up to media members about the premature birth of his son.

Ensuring that Gay Jr. is in a good place mentally in light of his suspension is a priority for the Chiefs. Reid feels they have a proper support system in place to help him through it while he’s away from the team.

“The league is very sensitive to issues off the field,” Reid said. “They’re also sensitive to the mental health part of it. Willie and I had a nice visit. You know we’ve got doctor (Shaun Tyrance VP of Player Services and Assessment) here. Doctor T has talked to him. The position coaches talked to him. Brett (Veach) talked to him. So, he seems to be in a good place right now. He loves to play the game. It’ll be a long four weeks for him, but he’s allowed to come back here after two weeks. He’s in as good of a place as he can be. We’ll be in touch with him and stay in touch with him.”

As for replacing Gay Jr. on the field, Reid says that one veteran player will get the first crack at playing in his place.

“Darius Harris can fill in there,” Reid said. “We have people that can fill in, but Darius has a chance to step in there.”

Harris, an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee, has been with the team since Steve Spagnuolo’s first season in 2019. Brett Veach tabbed him as a future starter, and for the next four weeks, he’ll get his chance.

“Well, he’s coming off of a good preseason,” Reid said of Harris. “He kind of knows everything. He’s a sharp kid. He’s tough and has a good concept of the defense. I think he’ll do a nice job. Physically, he’s (a) good size.”

A “good” preseason might be an understatement. Aligned as the MIKE linebacker in preseason Week 3, Harris had a three-snap stretch where he singlehandedly thwarted every play by the Green Bay Packers. That’s the type of instincts and playmaking ability that Kansas City could use in Gay Jr.’s absence.

“He’s smart, he’s instinctive, he’s tough and he’s got a good grasp of the defense,” Reid said of Harris. “Spags does a lot with the scheme and you’ve got to be able to process all of that. He does a good job with that.”

There is little doubt that the Chiefs will miss what Gay Jr. provides on the field, but there seems to be a lot of confidence that the defense won’t miss a beat with Harris in there.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=none image=https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=136868]

Chiefs’ COVID-19 outbreak extends to practice squad

In addition to the seven players from the 53-man roster, the #Chiefs placed two practice squad players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a COVID-19 outbreak on their hands, and it extends beyond their 53-man roster.

In addition to placing seven players from the 53-man roster on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, the team also placed two more players from the practice squad on the list. Both WR Daurice Fountain and LB Darius Harris, who were on the active gameday roster for Week 15, join fellow practice squad teammate Gehrig Dieter on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Why is this a significant development, though?

With this outbreak extending to the practice squad, the NFL might be forced to make a decision to delay the Chiefs’ Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs have nearly 25% of the 53-man roster on the Reserve/COVID-19 list along with nearly 19% of the practice squad. Should they continue to have players test positive in the coming days, the team could be in a bind where they don’t have enough replacement players available to bring up from the practice squad to field a full game-day roster.

The league claims they are not delaying games due to competitive disadvantages, but instead doing so to mitigate further spread of the virus on teams with outbreaks. I’d imagine they might bend those rules if a team were unable to field a game-day roster.

Their recent decisions have proven the league is not interested in canceling or having teams forfeit games. On the other hand, as we’ve learned with delays to the Browns-Raiders game and Washington-Eagles game, delaying the game doesn’t always mean players will be activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Even with the NFL’s new return-to-play protocols, the virus has to run its course.

We’ll see what happens in due time. After all, the Chiefs haven’t even held a practice this week, with the first practice ahead of their Week 16 tilt with the Steelers scheduled for Wednesday. This situation will certainly put the league’s new COVID-19 protocols and procedures to the test. It’ll also put Kansas City’s depth to the test.

[listicle id=113645]

Chiefs announce pair of practice squad elevations ahead Week 8 vs. Giants

The #Chiefs have elevated 2 players from the practice squad via standard elevation ahead of “Monday Night Football” against the #Giants.

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced pair of roster moves ahead of their Week 8 game against the New York Giants on “Monday Night Football.”

In an expected move, the Chiefs elevated practice squad LB Darius Harris via Standard Elevation this week. It marks the second consecutive week that Kansas City has brought up Harris from the practice squad. They protected him earlier in the week, ensuring no one could sign him and making it clear he’d be called up again this week.

That was also made clear when the team ruled out starting MIKE Anthony Hitchens. Harris has filled in for Hitchens in the past and is also capable of playing the SAM linebacker position in the Chiefs’ scheme. He only played special teams last week and will likely play there again this week assuming there are no injuries.

That wasn’t the only move made by Kansas City ahead of Monday night, though.

The team also brought up DE Austin Edwards from the practice squad via Standard Elevation. The team first signed the former D-II defender to the practice squad during the playoffs last season. He was highly productive in college, recording 187 total tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, and three forced fumbles in his career. He played in 2020 with the Atlanta Falcons on their practice squad, but he chose to join Kansas City in the playoffs when the season ended.

Edwards signed a reserve/future deal to rejoin the team this season, but he didn’t make the 53-man roster out of the gate. During the preseason, Edwards got some work on the edge and on the interior defensive line. With Khalen Saunders out of this game, plus Chris Jones dealing with wrist/groin injuries, it makes sense to this player up for depth purposes. It’ll also be good for the Chiefs to get an idea of what they have on the practice squad at the defensive end position ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline on Tuesday.

[listicle id=108035]

Chiefs protect 2 practice squad players for Week 8

The #Chiefs have protected a pair of practice squad players ahead of their “Monday Night Football” tilt with the #Giants

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=none image=https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Kansas City Chiefs have protected a pair of players on the practice squad ahead of their Week 8 game against the New York Giants.

Kansas City protected QB Shane Buechele and LB Darius Harris according to the NFL’s personnel notice for Wednesday. This is the second consecutive week that the team has protected Harris and the fourth consecutive week the team has opted to protect Buechele. This actually marks the fewest practice squad protections for the team since Week 5, when they first protected Buechele.

Harris was elevated to the 53-man roster last week via standard elevation, playing just two special teams snaps. His experience playing SAM and MIKE linebacker is an asset for Kansas City right now with Anthony Hitchens still dealing with an elbow injury. The protection for Harris also signals that Hitchens will likely be out with his injury for a second consecutive week.

The Chiefs’ continued protection of Buechele likely has nothing to do with the upcoming week, but instead, it shows their commitment to the rookie. Current backup QB Chad Henne is scheduled to become a free agent in 2022. Kansas City would be wise to work to develop a player like Buechele behind Mahomes so they don’t have to exhaust money on a backup. By protecting him each week, they’re ensuring that no other team signs him away and that he’s with the Chiefs for the long haul.

[listicle id=107710]

Chiefs protect 4 practice squad players for Week 7

The #Chiefs protected four practice squad players on Tuesday, using their four allotted protections for the first time in a single week this season.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=none image=https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Kansas City Chiefs have protected four players on the practice squad ahead of their Week 7 game against the Tennessee Titans.

QB Shane Buechele, DE Demone Harris, LB Darius Harris and LB Christian Rozeboom were all protected by Kansas City on Tuesday per the NFL’s official personnel notice. Buechele and Demone Harris are going on three consecutive weeks of practice squad protections for Kansas City. Darius Harris and Rozeboom are both being protected for the first time this season.

This marks the most players protected by the Chiefs in a single week in 2021. Teams are allowed to protect as many as four players on the practice squad each week. Players who are not protected can leave the team to sign to another team’s active roster. Those who are protected for the week are not permitted to sign with other teams.

The decisions to protect the two linebackers suggest that the Chiefs could be without starter Anthony Hitchens for some time. Hitchens suffered an elbow injury during the Week 6 win in Washington. As of Monday, the Chiefs were still awaiting MRI results from his injury.

Hitchens wears the green dot for the Chiefs’ defense and is one of the team’s most indispensable defensive players because of that. Darius Harris has filled in at the middle linebacker position last season, so he’d be a logical player signed to the 53-man roster if Hitchens was to be placed on injured reserve with his elbow injury.

[listicle id=104132]

Chiefs sign LB Darius Harris to practice squad

After being released from the 53-man roster to make room for Willie Gay Jr., the #Chiefs have signed LB Darius Harris back to their practice squad.

The Kansas City Chiefs have brought back another familiar face to their practice squad.

After being released from the 53-man roster to make room for returning LB Willie Gay Jr. last week, the Chiefs have brought back LB Darius Harris on the practice squad per the NFL’s transaction report. A former undrafted free agent signing out of Middle Tennessee State University in 2019, Harris was first added to the 53-man roster in Kansas City last season when L’Jarius Sneed was placed on injured reserve.

Though inactive for most of the 2020 NFL season, Harris was thrust into a starting role in Week 16 after injuries took out the majority of the Chiefs’ linebacker depth. In his first true NFL action, Harris was thrust into playing MIKE linebacker and acting as the quarterback of the defense. That was after practicing at the SAM linebacker position all week too. He notched a forced fumble and held down the fort in a close win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Harris made the initial 53-man roster in Kansas City this season after putting together another solid offseason of work. He was active in the first four weeks of the 2021 NFL season, playing all of his snaps on special teams despite some injuries and poor play at the linebacker position.

The addition of Harris combined with the addition of RB Elijah McGuire brings the practice squad count to a full 16-man squad. Along with LBs Elijah Sullivan and Christian Rozeboom, the Chiefs now have three players at the position on the practice squad. It seems a bit overkill, so perhaps a change there is imminent.

[listicle id=105037]