Kansas City Chiefs have 3 practice squad players who could prove to be a shot in the arm for an anemic pass rush
The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t getting enough out of their pass rush, and they have three players on the practice squad who could help.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of problems plaguing the 2025 NFL season, but none are more notable or clear than the lack of pass-rush consistency.
The Chiefs have now gone 11 quarters of football without recording a quarterback sack. They’ve managed just one sack during November in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills. It’s an entirely unacceptable outcome when you consider that just last week, Dallas trotted out a backup left tackle, and Kansas City couldn’t sniff Cowboys QB Dak Prescott.
It’s also manifesting in the Chiefs’ struggles on third down. Opposing teams are converting at a 43% clip against Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, primarily because he has to manufacture blitzes to create pressure. That puts pressure on the secondary to win their one-on-one matchups, and it’s clear they don’t always have the horses to do that. They certainly didn’t in Week 13 against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, when Dallas converted on third down 9 times in 16 tries.
The Chiefs currently aren’t getting enough out of guys like Mike Danna and Ashton Gillotte, who boast pass-rush win percentages of 5.1% and 5.6% on true pass sets, respectively. Derrick Nnadi, who has been on the field for 80 pass-rushing snaps this season, has a 0% pass-rush win percentage on true pass sets.
So, what’s the fix for an underperforming pass rush for Kansas City? There aren’t a lot of ways to improve your roster at the Week 14 mark of the season. The trade deadline has passed, and you’re not signing any free agents that will make a meaningful impact at this point in the season. What the Chiefs can do is take a look at the pieces they added to the practice squad back in September.
The Chiefs must see what they have in some of their practice squad players
Even with their backs against the wall when it comes to making the playoffs, the Chiefs shouldn’t be afraid to pivot off of some of their underperforming pieces. They very much need to see what they have in some of their outside additions to the practice squad to determine whether they’re part of the long-term solution. Three players in particular could help them get out of the problem they currently face.
Practice squad players who could help the Chiefs’ defensive line improve
- DE Ethan Downs
- DE Tyreke Smith
- DT Zacch Pickens
With the edge rush really stalling out for Kansas City, a player like Downs intrigues me the most. He’s finished his college career with the Sooners with 110 total tackles, 33 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks. During the 2025 NFL preseason with the Jaguars, the 6-foot-4 and 265-pound edge rusher recorded three pressures, one sack, and two defensive stops. Smith was a successful college player for the Ohio State Buckeyes, but he has appeared in only three career NFL games since entering the league in 2022.
Pickens might not be the most practical option, but he’s the only one with real NFL production to hang his hat on. The 25-year-old is listed at 6-foot-4 and 303 pounds. The former third-round pick appeared in 26 games with three starts over two seasons with the Chicago Bears, recording 39 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
At the end of the day, if the Chiefs stick with the same guys, they’re bound to get the same results. They have a 12-game sample size of what their current pass rush can give them, and it’s simply not good enough. Some of these younger guys deserve a shot to prove themselves, if not in Week 14 against the Houston Texans, at some point during the final five-game stretch of the 2025 NFL season.
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