Overview
- Kansas City signed 29-year-old tight end Thomas Odukoya to its practice squad as an International Player Pathway addition, a move the team listed on its official transactions page.
- The Pathway designation makes Odukoya exempt from the usual practice-squad limit, effectively allowing the Chiefs to carry a 17th developmental player without using a standard roster spot.
- The club also reached injury settlements to waive quarterback Chris Oladokun, guard CJ Hanson and running back EJ Smith from the Reserve/Injured list, freeing roster flexibility for the practice squad addition.
- Odukoya’s route to Kansas City stretched from the Netherlands to U.S. junior colleges and Eastern Michigan before entering the NFL via the Pathway with the Tennessee Titans and spending time on the Patriots’ practice squad; he has limited regular-season snaps and sources disagree on whether he appeared in two or three games.
- The signing continues a pattern for the Chiefs of using the international exemption for developmental depth after their previous exempt international player, Chu Godrick, was claimed off waivers by Miami, and it gives Kansas City more practice-room options while Odukoya works to earn active-roster opportunities.