KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The Chiefs might have some help on the way to bolster the pass defense sooner than later.
Cornerback Morris Claiborne is eligible to return to the active roster this week after serving a four-game suspension to start the season.
Whether Claiborne can hit the ground running remains to be seen, though, as Chiefs coach Andy Reid indicated a discussion will first take place between himself and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
"I'll get with Spags on that," Reid said during a Monday teleconference. "I haven't gotten to that point yet."
Claiborne might need some time, so it makes sense that a determination on how to work the cornerback into the defensive scheme requires an evaluation process.
The Chiefs signed Claiborne to a one-year deal in early August during training camp, and he has missed a solid month of regular-season action and practices while serving the suspension.
Still, there's little doubt the 5-foot-11, 192-pound Claiborne could eventually help a Chiefs pass defense that entered Week 4 ranked 19th against the pass.
The Chiefs have utilized a nickel package in the 4-3 base defense with cornerbacks Bashaud Breeland, Charvarius Ward and Kendall Fuller. Claiborne might eventually push for a starting job, but he certainly provides veteran depth and he brings plenty of experience.
Since entering the league in 2012 out of LSU as the sixth overall pick of the draft with the Dallas Cowboys, Claiborne has appeared in 77 games with 73 starts with the Cowboys (2012-16) and New York Jets (2017-18). He has also been productive, totaling 251 tackles, seven interceptions and 49 passes defensed.
In the meantime, the Chiefs will take a wait-and-see approach on how to incorporate Claiborne on defense.
And arguably the biggest factor on how much playing time Claiborne receives once he's back on the active roster depends on how he feels after the missed time.
"I'll have to talk to him and see where he thinks he's at," Reid said.
