The Kansas City Chiefs began Tuesday with three wide receivers from Alabama high schools and colleges. By the end of the day, they didn’t have any.
As NFL teams reduced their rosters from the 90 players of the preseason to the regular-season limit of 53 active players on Tuesday, Kansas City waived Justyn Ross from Central High School in Phenix City, Kadarius Toney from Blount High School in Prichard and Montrell Washington from Samford.
Toney was a first-round draft choice of the New York Giants in 2021, whose career with the Chiefs includes the longest punt-return in Super Bowl history and a touchdown reception in the Super Bowl.
Ross has had an injury-affected career since joining Kansas City as an undrafted rookie in 2022. He played in 10 games last season.
As a fifth-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2022, Washington was one of the NFL’s busiest return men as a rookie, but he played in only six games last season for the Chiefs.
The wide receivers were among the 29 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) who were waived by NFL teams on Tuesday. Another six were released.
The former state players who were waived on Tuesday included:
· Travis Bell, defensive tackle, Jeff Davis: By the Cincinnati Bengals.
· Carter Bradley, quarterback, South Alabama: By the Las Vegas Raiders.
· Shakel Brown, defensive tackle, Troy: By the San Francisco 49ers.
· Spencer Brown, running back, Mortimer Jordan, UAB: By the Atlanta Falcons.
· DJ Coleman, defensive end, Jacksonville State: By the Jacksonville Jaguars.
· TyKeem Doss, guard, Aliceville: By the Pittsburgh Steelers.
· Grant DuBose, wide receiver, Park Crossing: By the Green Bay Packers.
· Chris Edmonds, defensive back, Samford: By the Cleveland Browns.
· Neil Farrell Jr., defensive tackle, Murphy: By the Kansas City Chiefs.
· Eric Garror, cornerback, McGill-Toolen: By the Tennessee Titans.
· Zyon Gilbert, cornerback, Jeff Davis: By the Pittsburgh Steelers.
· OJ Hiliare, wide receiver, Alabama A&M: By the Atlanta Falcons
· Keenan Isaac, cornerback, Midfield, Alabama State: By the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
· Cephus Johnson III, wide receiver, Davidson, South Alabama: By the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
· Chris Oladokun, quarterback, Samford: By the Kansas City Chiefs.
· Tejhaun Palmer, wide receiver, UAB: By the Arizona Cardinals.
· La’Mical Perine, running back, Theodore: By the Pittsburgh Steelers.
· Monty Rice, linebacker, James Clemens: By the New Orleans Saints.
· Justyn Ross, wide receiver, Central-Phenix City: By the Kansas City Chiefs.
· Lincoln Sefcik, tight end, South Alabama: By the New York Jets.
· Jamie Sheriff, outside linebacker, South Alabama: By the Seattle Seahawks.
· Lachavious Simmons, offensive lineman, Selma: By the Tennessee Titans (with an injury designation).
· Reddy Steward, cornerback, Austin, Troy: By the Chicago Bears.
· Kadarius Toney, wide receiver, Blount: By the Kansas City Chiefs.
· Corliss Waitman, punter, South Alabama: By the Chicago Bears
· Montrell Washington, wide receiver, Samford: By the Kansas City Chiefs
· Austin Watkins, wide receiver, UAB: By the Philadelphia Eagles.
· Jalen Wayne, wide receiver, Spanish Fort, South Alabama: By the Green Bay Packers.
· Darryl Williams, center, Bessemer City: By the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The former state players who were released on Tuesday included:
· Khari Blasingame, fullback, Buckhorn: By the Chicago Bears
· Chris Hubbard, offensive tackle, UAB: By the San Francisco 49ers.
· Jordan Matthews, tight end, Madison Academy: By the Carolina Panthers.
· Bobby McCain, defensive back, Oxford: By the Minnesota Vikings.
· Quez Watkins, wide receiver, Athens: By the Pittsburgh Steelers.
· Nick Williams, defensive lineman, Minor, Samford: By the San Francisco 49ers.
They join five players who were waived over the previous five days – wide receiver Kawaan Baker (South Alabama) and cornerback Mikey Victor (Alabama State), cornerback Allan George (Andalusia) by the Cincinnati Bengals, linebacker Trey Kiser (South Alabama) by the New York Giants and running back DeWayne McBride (UAB) by the Minnesota Vikings.
The players who were waived can by claimed by any other team in the league before 11 a.m. CDT Wednesday. Waiver claims are processed in the same order as the 2024 NFL Draft before any trades were made.
Waived players who go unclaimed become free to sign with any team. Players who were released do not have to pass through the waiver process.
Each NFL team can begin assembling its 16-player practice squad on Wednesday afternoon. Practice-squad members work just as active-roster players do during the week, but they are not eligible to play in the games – with one exception. Each NFL team can elevate two practice-squad players to active status for each game.
Four more players were placed on injured reserve. Detroit Lions Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jeremiah Moon (Hoover) were designated to return from IR, but they still will have to miss at least the first four games of the season.
Carolina Panthers linebacker Tae Davis (Oxford) and Washington Commanders defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth (Murphy) were placed on season-ending IR.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
