Kansas City Chiefs bring preseason standout back to the practice squad after taking a risk with him during 53-man roster cuts

The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back DT Marcus Harris on the practice squad. The team announced the roster move on Tuesday morning.

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor

Sep 2, 2026 12:07 PM EDT

The Kansas City Chiefs took a risk with one of their preseason standouts during 53-man roster cuts, but that risk seems to have paid off. Kansas City released defensive tackle Marcus Harris after a standout three-game preseason and training camp with the team. They did so to make room on the 53-man roster for the team’s two waiver claims.

Chiefs Kingdom felt, by and large, that Harris had earned a spot on the 53-man roster. He had a team-leading defensive snap total (42) and three tackles for loss in the preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks. That performance helped the team break its preseason losing streak.

Harris was a reserve/future signing by the team during the offseason, and it looked like there was a chance his time with the Chiefs was over when he was waived. No NFL club claimed Harris during waivers. However, cornerback Kevin Knowles, who was also waived, was claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That opened the door for Harris’ return to the team on the practice squad even further. The Chiefs announced on Tuesday, Sept. 2, that Harris had rejoined the team. In a corresponding move, they released undrafted free agent defensive tackle Cole Brevard.

While Harris won’t initially be on the 53-man roster, he has the potential to participate immediately in Week 1 from his spot on the practice squad.

The Chiefs could elevate Marcus Harris to the 53-man roster for Week 1 versus the Broncos

While Kansas City just added defensive tackle Bryson Eason via waivers, it will take time for him to get up to speed. Steve Spagnuolo’s playbook and scheme aren’t always the easiest to learn. The Chiefs might want four interior D-Linemen active for their Week 1 game against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. They could use one of their two standard practice squad elevations to bring Harris up to the 53-man roster for that game. It remains to be seen whether the Chiefs will do that. They also have other positions where they could elevate a player. They could pivot to meet special teams needs or offset an injury at another position.

The depth that K.C. has at defensive tackle makes this position group that much more dangerous. It’s so much improved from where it was a season ago. Even if Harris is not elevated from the practice squad for Week 1, he will certainly participate in game prep. Expect him to give the Chiefs’ O-Line a taste of what they could face against Denver on the scout team. That’s what he’ll provide at a bare minimum.