Kansas City Chiefs make a pair of practice squad elevations for Week 3 vs. Miami Dolphins, but they don’t mean the same things
The Kansas City Chiefs have elevated LB Cole Christiansen & DE Tyreke Smith for Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins.
The Kansas City Chiefs officially made practice squad elevations ahead of Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins.
For the third consecutive week, the Chiefs will be without LT Josh Simmons and SS Chamarri Conner. Although they ruled out the same two players, the team has an entirely different set of roster needs to address in Week 3. Kansas City likes to maximize practice squad elevations, sometimes even rewarding practice squad players with a typical NFL game check even if they’re not slated to be active.
Here’s a quick reminder of the league’s practice squad elevation rules
Practice Squad Elevation Rules
NFL clubs can elevate up to two players per week without signing them to the 53-man roster. This temporarily expands 53-man rosters to as many as 55 players, but it does not expand game-day roster limits (48).
- Players can only receive 3 standard elevations per season.
- Following the game, players automatically revert to the practice squad.
- Practice squad elevations reset for the postseason.
Chiefs elevate practice squad LB Cole Christiansen for Week 3 vs. Dolphins
The 29-year-old Christiansen will get his second consecutive week with a practice squad elevation. Last week, Christiansen filled in for LB Cooper McDonald, but only on special teams. He played 18 special teams snaps in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts and recorded two tackles.
A former Army Black Knight, Christiansen has been with the Chiefs since the 2022 NFL season. The 6-foot-1 and 230-pound linebacker is a two-time Super Bowl champion and has appeared in 18 career regular-season games for Kansas City without a start.
This is the second practice squad elevation this season, leaving him with only one remaining for the 2026 regular season. We expect him to be active for three consecutive weeks, with Cooper McDonald not eligible to return from IR until after the Week 5 bye week.
Chiefs’ practice squad elevation of DE Tyreke Smith could be a hedged bet or a reward
This practice squad elevation could mean a few different things. Firstly, the Chiefs could be hedging their bets with Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who had a new injury pop up this week. Second, they might not plan to play him and could reward a practice squad player with a game check. You’d think that after over a dozen practices, Jack Pyburn would get the nod over Smith if Anudike-Uzomah was limited or inactive.
Smith originally entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. He was on the practice squad for Kansas City last season, and really had a standout training camp and preseason in 2026. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds and has primarily played defensive end with the Chiefs.
