The Kansas City Chiefs have brought back a preseason standout on the practice squad after a player was poached.
According to the NFL’s personnel notice for Tuesday, the Chicago Bears signed LB Elijah Lee from the Chiefs’ practice squad on Tuesday. The K-State alumnus leaves Kansas City having appeared in five games this season, mostly on special teams, with six total tackles and one fumble recovery. He’ll provide depth for the Bears with news that LB Jack Sanborn is out for the season.
With both Jody Fortson and Noah Gray dealing with injuries at the tight end position, the Chiefs opted to fill Lee’s spot on the practice squad with a familiar face. The team signed TE Matt Bushman to the practice squad per the personnel notice.
Fans may recall that Bushman had a monster performance in preseason Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers. He led the team in yards with 73 and touchdowns with two. Unfortunately, Bushman suffered a fractured clavicle on his final reception during that game. He was subsequently waived with an injury designation and reverted to the team’s injured reserve list. He was later waived from the injured reserve list with an injury settlement.
Now, Bushman rejoins the team with tight end depth suddenly thin. Blake Bell has been designated to return from injured reserve, but it’s unclear when he’ll be ready to be activated. Kendall Blanton is the only other tight end on the practice squad in Kansas City, so Bushman could see some opportunities down the stretch.
