The Kansas City Chiefs have decided to part ways with one of their developmental offensive linemen after his NFL debut went awry against the Indianapolis Colts.
According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Chiefs have placed second-year OL Ryan Hunter on waivers. Hunter joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green following the 2018 NFL draft. He didn’t make the 53-man roster in 2018 but spent the entire season on the Chiefs’ practice squad.
In 2019, Hunter made the Chiefs’ 53-man roster out of the preseason. Hunter has been game day active since Week 3 when the Chiefs faced the Ravens. He didn’t see his first action until Week 5 when the Chiefs faced the Colts and it wasn’t pretty.
According to Pro Football Focus, on 14 total snaps, Hunter recorded a 0.0 pass-blocking grade. He truly failed to even get a hand on a defender in pass protection and allowed instant pressure into the face of QB Patrick Mahomes. The one time he actually got his hands on a defender, he got called for a holding penalty that negated a pass interference penalty on third-and-28.
The writing was on the wall after such a poor debut and the injuries the Chiefs sustained — Hunter was not long for the Chiefs’ 53-man roster. Luckily for the Chiefs, Hunter still maintains practice squad eligibility. If he clears waivers, he’s eligible to return on the practice squad. It’s not clear if the Chiefs have seen enough, but they have the option to bring him back and allow him to develop if they so choose.
