The Kansas City Chiefs did a solid for a player that never played a snap for them but retired while under contract with the team. According to the NFL’s transaction report, the Chiefs have released LB Martrell Spaight from the reserve/retired list.
Kansas City added Spaight as one of their first reserve/future signings in 2018, ahead of the playoffs. It was a bit of a jump start on the process for the Chiefs, adding a talented player who didn’t really get a shot early in his career.
Spaight was a former fifth-round draft pick by the Washington Redskins in 2015, playing collegiately for the University of Arkansas. He dealt with a bad concussion during his rookie season which ended the year early. He’d start in seven games over the course of the next two seasons for Washington.
Around this time last year, ahead of Organized Team Activities, Spaight suddenly retired from the NFL. This came shortly after the trade with the Jets to acquire LB Darron Lee, which made the linebacker group even more competitive. That was presumed to be the reason why Spaight retired, but we never received official word from the team.
Spaight’s release from the reserve/retired list signals that he wishes to return to football and seek new opportunities in the league. Since he retired while under contract with Kansas City, they owned his rights and had to grant his release in order for him to sign with another team.
Unfortunately, this is merely a formality for the Chiefs. It won’t benefit them in any way or free up a roster spot. It was, however, the right thing to do for a player hoping to revitalize his career.
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