Overview
- Kaiir Elam, a 2022 first-round pick who signed a one-year deal with Kansas City this offseason, was reported released on Sunday as the Chiefs trimmed their training-camp roster to 53 players.
- Elam spent time with the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans after being taken 23rd overall in 2022, and Dallas declined his fifth-year option before releasing him in 2025.
- The Chiefs also waived rookie linebacker Wesley Bissainthe and rookie cornerback Zelmar Vedder while acquiring rookie tackle Diego Pounds from the Baltimore Ravens for a reported conditional 2028 sixth-round pick.
- Multiple beat reporters, including Jordan Schultz, Adam Schefter and Nate Taylor, relayed the transactions during the NFL-mandated cutdown that requires teams to reduce rosters from 90 to 53 players by the deadline.
- Elam’s release underscores the volatility of NFL careers for young players and leaves open short-term paths back to the league while the Chiefs continue reshaping their secondary around younger options drafted this year.