The Kansas City Chiefs look to be getting some reinforcements ahead of Super Bowl LV.
On Monday, the Chiefs designated TE Deon Yelder to return from injured reserve according to the NFL’s official transaction report. Yelder suffered a groin injury during the team’s Week 17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve ahead of the start of the playoffs, one of a flurry of transactions prior to facing the Cleveland Browns in the divisional round.
Designating Yelder to return opens up a 21-day window for him to participate in practice with the team. Obviously, with only Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remaining, he won’t exactly utilize that entire window. The Chiefs can now activate him to the 53-man roster at any time ahead of the big game.
Yelder will provide the Chiefs with even more depth at the tight end position and on special teams. Besides Travis Kelce, Yelder is the best run-blocking tight end that the Chiefs currently have on the team. He’s also impressed at times over the past two years as a pass-catcher. He had a very important 12-yard catch against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 and had a big game against the Detroit Lions in 2019.
Kansas City should have an easy answer to finding space on the 53-man roster should Yelder be ready to return ahead of the Super Bowl. Injuries to both Willie Gay Jr. and Eric Fisher have yet to be addressed in terms of moves sending those two players to injured reserve, but they likely will be addressed before the week is over.
