While the Kansas City Chiefs haven’t come out and officially said that Marcus Kemp suffered a torn ACL and MCL, but their actions now give us every confirmation we needed.
Early Tuesday, the team announced that they would place Kemp on injured reserve, effectively ending his 2019 season. Kemp suffered a knee injury in Saturday’s game against the Steelers. Monday it was reported that the MRI results revealed tears to both the anterior and medial collateral ligaments.
It’s a shame for Kemp because he was having a great offseason. He looked to finally get involved and become a contributor on offense while elevating his game on special teams. Now, Kemp’s injury has opened up an opportunity for a new player to join the Chiefs.
Jalen Tolliver joined the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Arkansas-Monticello. Tolliver was a dominant player for the Boll Weevils, using his 6-feet-3 210-pound frame to his advantage. He scored 39 touchdowns over the course of 42 games in college. His strong production ultimately earned him a shot in the NFL.
Tolliver didn’t initially make the 53-man roster for the Cardinals but spent the offseason on the practice squad. He was elevated to the 53-man roster for the final four games of the 2018 season. During that time he caught three receptions on six targets for 37 yards.
Tolliver spent the early 2019 offseason program with the Tennessee Titans but was waived after the first week of the preseason.
It appears that Tolliver is to be a direct replacement for Kemp in some ways. His size and speed are very comparable to Kemp, with a similar height and running a near-identical 40-yard dash time (4.54). It’s not clear if he’ll immediately earn the trust of the offensive and special teams coaches. I’d doubt to see much of him this week when the Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers.
