Now that we’re into the month of October there are a handful of new dates of the NFL’s calendar that Chiefs fans should pay attention to. Some of them could impact the future of the team in terms of finances, while others will impact the 2019 roster.
Here’s a look at three upcoming dates to keep an eye on:
NFL Fall league meeting
October 15-16
Over these two days, NFL owners and decision-makers will meet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There will likely be a lot on the docket for discussion but there is rarely a lot of midseason action from these meetings. Things like some of the new rule changes that have been implemented this season will likely be discussed.
One thing that is different is that the negotiations on a new CBA have been going on for a bit now. I imagine the owners will be highly motivated to discuss and make progress in new CBA talks with the NFLPA. The sooner they can come to an agreement on a new deal the better, and the contents of that deal could potentially impact the Chiefs. If there’s a larger pool of money available for players, it could obviously impact new contracts for players like Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones.
Continue…
Players on Reserve/NFI list can begin practicing
Wednesday, Oct. 16
By rule, players who are on the Reserve/NFI list are forbidden from practicing through the first six weeks of the NFL’s regular season. On October 16, players on that list will finally be allowed to practice.
The Chiefs actually have two players on the Reserve/NFI list this season: LB Darius Harris and DE Tim Ward. Both players are promising rookie undrafted free agents that Brett Veach seemed excited for after they signed with the team.
So how does this work exactly? Starting on October 16, the Chiefs will have another six-week window involving these players. During that window, Harris and Ward can begin to practice. When a player practices, it begins a new 21-day window where the team can activate them to the 53-man roster, place the player on waivers or allow him to stay on the NFI list for the rest of the season.
If Harris and Ward are unable to practice before the six-week window ends, they will stay on the NFI list for the remainder of the season. The player I’ve got my eye on here is Harris. He’s coming off of a shoulder injury and should be ready for practice. Meanwhile, Ward is coming off of an ACL tear suffered in November of 2018. Veach has previously said the team does not plan to rush him back.
Continue…
NFL trade deadline
Tuesday, Oct. 29
At 4:00 p.m. ET on Oct. 29, the NFL will close trading for the 2019 season. Chiefs fans have been monitoring the trade market looking at players that potentially could be available on the defensive side of the ball. They’ve been anxious to see a deal done now, but the reality is that deadlines prompt action in this league. A lot of things can happen between now and the end of October, and the needs of this team could completely change.
The Chiefs currently have the eighth-most cap space in the NFL with $23.5 million. They won’t be able to roll over all of that cap space into the 2020 season, so I’d expect them to make a move either with a championship run or the future in mind.
Go back…
