Kansas City Chiefs announce pair of PUP list additions at training camp, but the real story is the players who avoided the list
The Kansas City Chiefs placed DT Omarr Norman-Lott and TE John Michael Gyllenborg on the Active/PUP list on Saturday. The real story is the players who avoided the list to start training camp.
The Kansas City Chiefs announced two roster moves on Saturday morning ahead of the start of their rookie three-day head start camp.
Second-year defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott and rookie tight end John Michael Gyllenborg have been officially placed on the PUP list. These two moves confirmed what coach Andy Reid disclosed during Friday’s media availability about the team’s injury situation entering training camp.
Neither move comes as a surprise. Reid spoke to reporters on Friday and laid out the circumstances surrounding both players, giving Chiefs fans an early indication that these moves were coming.
What is the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list?
This is an NFL roster designation given to players who are unable to participate in practice due to a football-related injury.
- Active/PUP: Used during training camp. Players still count against the 90-man offseason roster. They can attend meetings and rehab on the sidelines during practice. However, they’re unable to practice themselves. They can be activated at any time upon medical clearance.
- Reserve/PUP: Used once 53-man roster cuts happen. Players on the Reserve/PUP list do not count against the active roster limit. They’re required to miss the first four games of the season before the team can designate them to return to practice.
Omarr Norman-Lott’s ACL recovery continues
Norman-Lott tore his ACL last season, and Kansas City will start him on the active PUP list as he works his way back. Reid noted that defensive linemen typically take longer to return from significant knee ligament injuries and feel entirely like themselves again. The second-year defensive tackle could be activated from the PUP list at a later point during training camp, though that remains to be seen. The timeline for Norman-Lott’s return is uncertain, and it’s unclear how close he is to full participation.
John Michael Gyllenborg’s knee injury
The rookie tight end landed on the PUP list on Saturday. Reid told reporters Friday that Gyllenborg was dealing with a knee sprain and was being evaluated for something else. The PUP list will be an opportunity for Gyllenborg to get fully healthy.
Reid indicated Gyllenborg was unlikely to participate during the head start camp. It’s unclear if he will participate at any point during training camp, which would make this injury more in line with what Travis Kelce went through during his rookie season. Kelce had a microfracture in his knee, which was discovered during the preseason, and he missed his entire rookie year as a result.
The real story is the players who didn’t wind up on the PUP list
With Norman-Lott and Gyllenborg on the PUP list, the Chiefs currently have 35 players participating in the head start at training camp. The real story is the players who are participating. Patrick Mahomes, of course, is the big news as he’s received full clearance. However, there’s also rookie CB Mansoor Delane, who is dealing with a shoulder injury. He’s been spotted wearing a yellow non-contact jersey at this head start practice, which is meant as a precaution when a player is returning from injury. That said, he’s already speaking to media members at camp, which is a good sign for his recovery.
Here’s the full breakdown of the group, courtesy of KC Star reporter Pete Sweeney:
Quarterbacks (4): Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier, Chris Oladokun
Running backs (3): Emmett Johnson, Jaydn Ott, E.J. Smith
Wide receivers (7): Cyrus Allen, Andrew Armstrong, Jacob De Jesus, Jeff Caldwell, Jimmy Holliday, Omari Evans, Xavier Loyd
Tight ends (1): Tre Watson
Offensive linemen (3): Kahlil Benson, Josh Thompson, Pete Nygra
Linebackers (3): Ethan Downs, Kam Arnold, Wesley Bissainthe
Defensive backs (8): Mansoor Delane, Jadon Canady, Bryce Phillips, DeShon Singleton, D’arco Perkins-McAllister, Melvin Smith, Xavier Nwankpa, Zelmar Vedder
Defensive linemen (8): Peter Woods, R Mason Thomas, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Amari McNeil, Anthony Dunn, Cole Brevard, Damon Payne, VJ Anthony
Those 35 players will practice over the next three days before training camp opens to veterans.
Why Andy Reid pushed for the rookie head start this year
This is a substantial group, and Reid made it clear the three-day head start was necessary for Kansas City. The Chiefs did not hold this period last year. Reid admitted after the fact that the team felt it had missed that opportunity. He felt they should have held a camp, and he made sure it happened this time around.
“I just thought it was necessary,” Reid told reporters on Friday. “I didn’t like not doing it last year after I got done with it, to be honest with you. It is a good thing for the quarterbacks, and it is a good thing for the rookies coming in. We do have more numbers this year, so it allows us to get more reps, and I think that will benefit us.”
The extra ramp-up time gives young players a chance to get acclimated before the full roster reports next Tuesday.