The Kansas City Chiefs made a pair of roster moves on Monday, following their preseason Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kansas City waived fan-favorite undrafted free agent wide receiver Jeff Caldwell with an injury designation and signed free agent defensive end Niles King. The moves address both a developmental opportunity for a promising young receiver and a pressing depth need at edge rusher for the Chiefs heading into the final stretch of the 2026 NFL preseason.

What the Jeff Caldwell waive/injury designation means

The Chiefs announced they have waived Caldwell with an injury designation. He suffered a hyper-extended knee during training camp. This means Caldwell must clear waivers first. If he does, he will revert to Kansas City’s injured reserve list. At that point, two things can happen. He can agree to stay on injured reserve for the remainder of the 2026 NFL season, which amounts to a redshirt-year injury stash. He can also agree to an injury settlement, which would see him waived from injured reserve at some point when that agreement is met.

Caldwell was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Cincinnati. He posted some freaky athletic numbers during his offseason workouts, turning heads early in the process. What became clear during his time in Kansas City, though, is that he needs long-term development to become a polished receiver and truly turn that athletic ability into NFL-caliber production.

Kansas City Chiefs sign free agent DE Niles King to bolster edge rusher depth

On the other side of the move, the Chiefs signed free agent defensive end Niles King. King went undrafted following the 2026 NFL Draft. He played collegiate football at San Diego State in 2025 after spending three seasons at Division II Grand Valley State. He recorded 30 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 35 pressures, and 6.5 sacks in his lone season playing FBS football.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, King has the frame more commonly seen in a Steve Spagnuolo edge rusher. He originally signed with the Los Angeles Chargers after the draft and was released a couple of weeks later. The rookie will provide key depth at the edge rusher position, which has already taken a few hits for Kansas City this offseason.

Edge rusher injuries create opportunity for King

The Chiefs’ need for depth along the defensive line is real. The team lost defensive end Ethan Downs with a season-ending knee injury. Most recently, Chiefs defensive end Ashton Gilotte is dealing with a torn plantar fascia that could see him out for the next three weeks or so ahead of Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.

The truth is that King faces an uphill battle. To say he’s going to make any sort of impact on the 53-man roster at this point would be a stretch. However, if he can impress enough during these final weeks of the preseason, he could earn himself an opportunity on the team’s practice squad. With the edge rusher room banged up, the door is at least open for him to show what he can do.