The Kansas City Chiefs have two open spots on their 16-man practice squad heading into Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season. Both openings come from cornerback moves, giving Chiefs GM Brett Veach flexibility as the team works through injuries at several spots on the roster.

When the Chiefs placed CB L’Jarius Sneed on injured reserve, they promoted CB Melvin Smith Jr. to the 53-man roster with an active roster contract. That created the first opening. On Tuesday, the team released free agent signing Kader Kohou from the practice squad, which created the second.

Those two moves leave Kansas City rather depleted at cornerback on the practice squad. D’Arco Perkins-McAllister is the only player there right now.

Injuries could shape the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad decisions

The Chiefs have shuffled the practice squad several times recently. RB Nate Carter rejoined the team, LB Aiden Fisher joined the team, and their most recent signing was former Baltimore Ravens K Justin Tucker.

How Kansas City fills the two open spots could come down to injuries at other positions. For starters, DT Peter Woods is dealing with a stinger he suffered during Week 8’s game against the Denver Broncos. The severity of that injury might push the Chiefs to add to the interior defensive line.

Marcus Harris is the only interior defensive lineman on the practice squad, and the team has just three other players at the position on the 53-man roster. Harris also has only one practice squad elevation remaining after being elevated twice already this season. If the Chiefs need help up front for more than a week, they’ll need another body.

A familiar face could help reinforce the Chiefs’ secondary

Kansas City could also look to a familiar face to reinforce the secondary. It might not be a popular move with fans, but it follows Veach’s modus operandi.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Chiefs CB Nazeeh Johnson has completed his six-game PED suspension. He has also been cleared to return to football after ankle surgery in August.

“Free agent CB Nazeeh Johnson, who just finished serving a 6-game suspension for violating NFL policy on PEDs while also rehabbing an ankle injury, has been cleared for football activities, per source. Johnson had ankle surgery in August.”

Johnson had ankle surgery in August and served his six-game suspension while a free agent. He signed with the Tennessee Titans this offseason before he was suspended and suffered the ankle injury in late August.

With CB Mansoor Delane possibly missing another week with his shoulder and Sneed now on injured reserve, the Chiefs could use a practice squad player familiar with the system. Johnson could slot in if more injuries occur. He played both outside cornerback and slot cornerback for Kansas City during his tenure with the team.

A former seventh-round pick out of Marshall in the 2022 NFL Draft, Johnson is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, winning titles after the 2022 and 2023 seasons. That kind of system familiarity matters when a team needs someone who can step in quickly without a lengthy learning curve. That said, I’m not sure a reunion is imminent if Johnson’s reps need Rapoport to announce to the world that he’s available.

Wide receiver depth is another option for Kansas City

Another avenue that could make sense for K.C. is adding depth at wide receiver. The Chiefs have just two receivers on the practice squad, Justin Watson and Omari Evans, after promoting Andrew Armstrong to the active roster a few weeks ago. That isn’t as pressing as cornerback, but another receiver would give the team an extra elevation option if injuries strike the position group in the second half of the season.

The question is which need the Chiefs prioritize first. Cornerback is the thinnest spot right now, while the interior defensive line hinges on Woods’ status. With two open spots, Veach has room to address more than one of those areas, and the injury report heading into Week 9 should offer clues about which direction Kansas City goes.