The Kansas City Chiefs technically have two open roster spots on the 53-man roster after the decision to place left tackle Josh Simmons on injured reserve.

Earlier this week, the Chiefs waived linebacker Cam Jones from the 53-man roster after designating linebacker Cooper McDonald to return to practice. McDonald took part in a limited practice session on Wednesday. His workload should ramp up as the week continues, ahead of his eventual activation to the 53-man roster.

Chiefs now have two open spots after placing Josh Simmons on injured reserve

Moving Simmons to injured reserve opens up another roster spot for Kansas City. The question is what the team should do with it. Some would argue the Chiefs should use that spot on an offensive tackle with Simmons sidelined. However, Kansas City already has four players on the 53-man roster who can play offensive tackle. The team doesn’t necessarily need to replace Simmons one-for-one.

Others would argue that this is the perfect opportunity for Chiefs GM Brett Veach to go out and make a trade for a difference-maker on offense. That could be an option, but I suspect they won’t make that type of move until closer to the NFL’s November trade deadline. The Chiefs could still add a player on the offensive side of the ball. They just don’t have to look very far to find the right one.

Chiefs wide receiver Andrew Armstrong is the player deserving of a spot on the 53-man roster

After Week 6’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers, it became clear that wide receiver Andrew Armstrong deserves a larger role. Armstrong entered that game as a practice squad player who hadn’t appeared in a regular season game. He left it with his first career catch, a 13-yard reception, and the third-most offensive snaps among Kansas City’s wide receivers.

Only starting wide receiver Xavier Worthy and second-year wide receiver Jalen Royals played more offensive snaps at the position.

The more telling detail is who Armstrong played ahead of. The Chiefs trusted him to execute at a high level even with other options available on the 53-man roster, including rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen and veteran wide receiver Nikko Remigio. Kansas City had even elevated Justin Watson, a three-year veteran with chemistry with Patrick Mahomes, to the 53-man roster last week.

Remigio didn’t see a single snap on offense, and frankly doesn’t play a lick of offense for this team. Watson played just one offensive snap, and still seems to be ramping up after a 2025 Achilles injury. The kind of usage that Armstrong had in Week 6 doesn’t happen by accident. When a coaching staff hands that many reps to a practice squad receiver in his first game action, it’s a sign the staff believes he’s ready.

Chiefs WRs coach Chad O’Shea weighs in on Armstrong

Speaking to media members on Thursday, Chiefs wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea discussed Armstrong and what he brings to the team.

“I’ll start with Andrew (Armstrong) as the person,” O’Shea said. “Andrew gave us great confidence early on that he would be able to meet this opportunity and do a great job because of just the way he goes about his day. He’s a great worker, a tremendous person. He’s very intelligent. He understands the game of football. He’s a great teammate. You know, the guys really respect him because they respect the way he works and he goes about his business. So, that gave us great confidence that when he went in there, he would be a dependable player for us, and we were pleased with what he did in Game 1.”

Roster math works in Armstrong’s favor too. With Tyquan Thornton on injured reserve, it feels like only a matter of time before Kansas City needs to promote another receiver to the 53-man roster. The Chiefs have only five players at the position on the roster. Rashee Rice, one of those five, is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Remigio, as previously mentioned, doesn’t play on offense.

Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy recognizes what makes Armstrong special

Armstrong is viewed by the coaching staff as the complete package at wide receiver. It’s not just about his ability to make an impact in the passing game, but the work ethic that he’s shown in practice shows up in other areas as well.

Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy specifically praised him for the “dirty work” he does as a run-blocker and on special teams.

“It’s all about the next man stepping up,” Bieniemy explained. “I mean, (Andrew) Armstrong, he’s done a hell of a job playing on our practice squad and playing on special teams and doing all the little things, the dirty work that a lot of people really don’t see, but those are the things that make him special.”

Those things endear him to a coaching staff that is always looking for something extra. The more that you can do, the more valuable you are in the long run. Andy Reid already said that Armstrong was on the cusp of making the 53-man roster. Continued performances like the ones in Week 6? Those are what help you make it after spending the first part of the 2026 NFL season on the practice squad.

Adding Armstrong to the 53-man roster would give the Chiefs some much-needed depth at wide receiver. It would also reward a player who earned a bigger opportunity the first time he got one.