The Chiefs have traded running back Knile Davis to the Green Bay Packers, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Kansas City Star on Tuesday morning.
The Chiefs received a conditional late-round draft pick in return, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That would net the Chiefs a cap savings of about $700,000, as the Packers will be responsible for the rest of Davis' remaining $675,000 base salary. The Chiefs have about $10.8 million in cap room, according to the NFL Players Association.
The trade presents a good opportunity for Davis, who essentially fell out of the Chiefs' primary running back rotation last season. The Packers (3-2) are banged up at running back, with starter Eddie Lacy battling an ankle injury and James Starks expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury.
Davis, 25, was chosen by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft, with the 96th overall pick. He spent the first two seasons of his career as Jamaal Charles' primary backup before ceding that role to Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West a year ago.
Davis still served as an effective kick returner for the Chiefs, however, scoring a 106-yard touchdown against Houston in last season's AFC playoffs, and has continued in that role this year, returning six kicks for 126 yards, second-most on the team behind rookie Tyreek Hill, who has returned eight kicks for 188 yards.
But on Sunday, Davis was inactive for the Chiefs' 26-10 win at Oakland as De'Anthony Thomas was active for the first time this season. Davis went through the concussion protocol in the Chiefs' previous game, a 43-14 loss at Pittsburgh, but when asked Monday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that had nothing to do with the choice to activate Thomas over Davis, who was No. 4 on the running back depth chart behind Ware, Charles and West.
"It was a football decision, but we had the other three backups so that was really the only reason, that was it," Reid said. "De'Anthony could go in there in an emergency and play that position, likewise (Tyreek) could. We just thought we had enough backs for what we need."
Reid said he liked what he saw from Thomas, who played 12 snaps and caught two passes for 12 yards.
"I thought he did pretty good," Reid said of Thomas. "I mean, he didn't have a ton of snaps but the ones he had, he brought a little juice in there and had a nice third-down catch there. I was curious to see how he'd do, and I thought he did a good job for what he was asked to do."
Reid also said Thomas could continue to see playing time going forward. The Chiefs play host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
"Yeah, I think we could continue that _ I didn't see any reason why you couldn't," Reid said. "I haven't gotten so far into the Saints but I would tell you that wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility."
Davis, 25, has logged a single carry for minus-2 yards this season. For his career, he's carried the ball 233 times for 775 yards, a 3.3-yard average. He also fumbled six times in his career, losing three, though he worked hard to conquer that issue _ and improve his pass catching _ this offseason.
The trade frees up a roster spot for the Chiefs, who are expected to make a decision soon on whether star outside linebacker Justin Houston _ who opened the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list while rehabbing a knee injury _ will begin practicing.
If he does, the club will have three weeks to evaluate him in practice and decide whether they want to add him to the 53-man roster. If they decide not to add him to the 53-man roster at that point, Houston will return to the PUP list and miss the rest of the season.
