Kansas City Chiefs re-sign familiar face in free agency to reinforce depth after recent injuries at 2026 training camp
The Kansas City Chiefs have re-signed LB Cam Jones and waived UDFA DE Anthony Dunn. The moves come after recent linebacker injuries at training camp.
The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday that they re-signed linebacker Cam Jones and waived UDFA defensive end Anthony Dunn. Emmanuel Ogbah’s signing made Dunn expendable, and injuries made signing Jones necessary.
Jones is a former undrafted free agent out of Indiana who spent two seasons in Kansas City and one season with the New York Jets. He’s played in 44 career games, recording 41 tackles. He played 170 special teams snaps with the Jets in 2025.
The move addresses Kansas City’s growing need at linebacker. The knee injury to linebacker Jack Cochrane made this a necessary addition for the Chiefs, who have been relatively thin in terms of linebacker depth. Drue Tranquill has also been dealing with a back injury. With those absences piling up, the Chiefs needed to act.
Jones’ path back to Kansas City
Jones signed with the New York Giants this offseason on a veteran minimum deal, but he was waived on July 27. His release was due to a non-football injury designation. According to multiple reports, Jones hurt himself while moving boxes and missed OTAs and mandatory minicamp as a result.
The 6-foot-2 and 237-pound Jones won a Super Bowl during his rookie season with the Chiefs in 2023. He was a four-phase special teamer for special teams coordinator Dave Toub, but he also saw some defensive snaps for Kansas City. He started two games for the Chiefs, though his stat line is modest. Beyond his 41 career tackles, he has recorded just a single QB hit and a few pressures. The majority of his contributions have come on special teams.
Why this move makes sense for the Chiefs right now
With the team lacking depth at linebacker and needing bodies to fill in for at least the next two preseason games, Jones makes a lot of sense. He knows the system. He’s someone who probably won’t participate much in training camp, given that there are only two practice sessions remaining. However, he can immediately slot in, participate, and play without putting Kansas City at any significant risk. There’s no learning curve with a player who spent two years in this defense and on these special teams units.
For the Chiefs, this is a low-risk, high-familiarity addition at a position where they can’t afford to be short-handed heading into the final stretch of the preseason.
