The Kansas City Chiefs had 10 players in the building for tryouts on Friday, Sept. 4. Only one of those players emerged with a contract, at least for now.

Reports had already surfaced about a pair of players set to participate, but Kansas City had several more prospects in the facility ahead of Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. The tryouts serve a dual purpose. First, they allow the Chiefs to explore ways to improve roster construction on the practice squad. Second, they help Brett Veach and his staff perform due diligence on players they can add to their in-season call list. That list becomes critical when a player on the 53-man roster suffers an injury, a practice squad player gets elevated, and the team needs to fill the resulting practice squad vacancy.

The positions represented in Friday’s tryouts reveal what Veach wants to address heading into this season.

The Chiefs clearly want more depth at tight end

The tight end position was the most well-represented group on Friday. The Chiefs already worked out former Cowboys and Cardinals tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, but they also hosted Cody Hardy, Tre’ McKitty, Tyler Moore, and Thomas Odukoya. That’s five of the 10 tryout players at one position, a clear signal that Kansas City wants to improve its tight end depth.

This should come as no surprise after the team lost tight end Trey Watson to the Miami Dolphins during 53-man roster cuts. Watson signed with Miami’s practice squad rather than returning to Kansas City. The Chiefs have four tight ends on the 53-man roster: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Jared Wiley, and Jake Briningstool. The group behind Kelce and Gray hasn’t exactly been known for staying healthy during their NFL careers. It makes sense for the Chiefs to want redundancy on the practice squad and a developmental player learning the system for the long term, with the future of the tight end position still up in the air.

Hardy is listed at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds. He spent the offseason with the New Orleans Saints and played collegiate football at NC State. McKitty is listed at 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds and is a former third-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers. He played 34 career games, including 12 starts, recording 16 receptions for 117 yards. He’s primarily considered a blocking tight end who played college football at Georgia and Florida State. McKitty most recently spent a couple of weeks with the Washington Commanders during the preseason before being released in 53-man roster cuts.

Moore went undrafted in 2026 after playing 45 games for Iowa State. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Moore is another inline blocking tight end with some pass-catching ability, totaling 21 receptions for 245 receiving yards and two touchdowns during his college career. He spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants this offseason but did not make either team.

Thomas Odukoya is a 29-year-old who originally signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft. He played at Eastern Michigan, is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, and hails from the Netherlands. He appeared in NFL regular-season games, primarily on special teams. Odukoya spent the 2025 NFL season on the Patriots’ practice squad.

According to Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick, the Chiefs signed Odukoya to the practice squad. He doesn’t take up a spot because the International Player Pathway program allows him to be exempt from the practice squad roster limit.

Wide receiver tryouts point to return specialist concerns

The Chiefs hosted two wide receiver tryouts, but the position itself might not be the key need. Both players have return-specialist experience.

Cameron Ross, the former Denver Bronco, has 4.3 speed and multiple return touchdowns during his collegiate career. Kansas City also worked out veteran wide receiver Xavier Gipson, who went undrafted out of Stephen F. Austin following the 2023 NFL Draft. Gipson spent several seasons with the New York Jets. He split time between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles last season.

Gibson has appeared in 33 career games with three starts. He recorded 28 receptions for 275 yards and one touchdown, along with eight carries for 68 yards and a score. His true value, though, is on special teams. He has 66 career punt returns for 635 yards and a touchdown, plus 43 career kickoff returns for 1,319 yards at an average of 25.9 yards per return. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 189 pounds, Gibson represents the type of dynamic return option Kansas City appears to want.

The Chiefs are clearly looking for potential depth or upgrades at the return specialist position on the practice squad.

Defensive depth remains on the radar

Kansas City also hosted three defensive players on Friday. Former Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York spent the offseason with the Denver Broncos after the 2026 NFL Draft. An undersized linebacker at 5-foot-10 and 226 pounds, York did not make Denver’s 53-man roster. That’s despite the Broncos’ depth issues at the position.

The Chiefs also hosted defensive tackle Jay Toia, whom the Dallas Cowboys recently waived. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 340 pounds, Toia was a former seventh-round pick by Dallas in the 2025 NFL Draft. He played at UCLA. During his rookie season, he appeared in five regular-season games, recording three combined tackles. He’s a strong player with a low center of gravity, known as a run-stuffer who can handle double teams.

The final tryout player? Undrafted rookie defensive back Larry Worth III. He spent the offseason with the San Francisco 49ers. Worth started his college football career as a walk-on at Jacksonville State. He eventually earned a scholarship and transferred to Arkansas for his final two collegiate seasons. He appeared in 47 career games with 201 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six passes defended, three forced fumbles, and an interception.

These are the types of moves on the margins that can help the Chiefs sustain a 17-game season and an extended postseason run. It’s about more than just having depth that can eventually help the roster through elevations. Talented practice squad players give the scout team the types of looks and schemes Kansas City will face each week. Coaches will tell you that a good scout team can be the difference between a win and a loss on any given week.