The Kansas City Chiefs have protected a pair of practice squad players ahead of their Week 10 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kansas City protected QB Shane Buechele and CB Dicaprio Bootle according to the NFL’s personnel notice for Tuesday. This marks the sixth consecutive week the team has opted to protect Buechele. It’s the third time the team has protected Bootle and the first time they’ve done so since Week 6.
The Chiefs continue to show a commitment to Buechele, who looks to be in line to compete for the No. 2 QB job in coming seasons. With some attrition at the QB position throughout the league, Kansas City continues to protect Buechele to ensure that he is not signed away by an opponent.
As for the decision to protect Bootle, it’s slightly troubling. L’Jarius Sneed had a standout performance against the Green Bay Packers, with Andy Reid calling it the best game of his career. He did briefly check out of the game with an injury and go into the blue medical tent before returning to the game. Bootle is the Chiefs’ backup nickel corner and his protection could indicate that Sneed is dealing with something more significant than originally let on.
It also could signal that a team was looking to sign Bootle from the practice squad. There have been a number of injuries and releases in secondaries across the league. With the trade deadline past, teams are now taking a harder look at the players on opposing practice squads.
