Chiefs Rumors: Charles Omenihu returns from suspension
The Kansas City Chiefs made several roster moves ahead of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Defensive end Charles Omenihu is set to return from a six-week suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
To make room for Omenihu on the 53-man roster, the Chiefs waived Keondre Coburn, who only played one game this season prior to Chris Jones' return. According to Josh Alper of NBC Sports, Kansas City also waived Montrell Washington to make room for returnee Mecole Hardman.
Omenihu's return will have a pronounced impact on the Chiefs' defense. The 2019 fifth-round pick spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers, where he accumulated 20 tackles, 16 QB hits, and 4.5 sacks in 17 games (three starts). He will split time with Mike Danna and Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the DE rotation.
Kansas City's defense continues to get stronger in the wake of Jones' return from a contract holdout. Factor in potentially splashy free agent or trade acquisitions ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline, and the Chiefs should be well positioned for another deep run. The offense will have to carry its weight, but with the WR corps finding its way next to Patrick Mahomes, that shouldn't be much of a concern.
Chiefs Rumors: Mecole Hardman details scary 2022 abdominal injury
The Chiefs sent a late-round draft pick to the New York Jets to reunite with Mecole Hardman, who spent the first four years of his career with Kansas City before bolting for NYC in the offseason. Given the, um, limited nature of the Chiefs' WR room, there's a chance for Hardman to quickly establish a significant role given his intimate familiarity with Patrick Mahomes.
Last season was a difficult one for Hardman, who missed the second half of the campaign with an abdominal injury. He returned for the AFC championship game, but quickly re-aggravated the injury. Speaking with reporters after his KC reunion, Hardman opened up about the frightening details of the ordeal, which was officially termed "osteitis pubis," which is the "inflammation in the joint between the left and right pubic bones," per FOX 4 KC.
"Literally every hour it got worse and worse," Hardman said. "It was scary as hell. But finally the feeling [in my legs] came back. I was in so much pain."
Hardman spent four days in the hospital and lost feeling in his legs for four days. Thankfully, offseason surgery brought about a full recovery and he is back on the football field, symptom-free. The Chiefs will hope Hardman can return to vintage form. In 2021, Hardman caught 59 of 83 targets for 693 yards and two touchdowns.
The scouting report on Hardman is simple: the man is fast. He's a fairly low-volume receiver, but he has the ability to swing the momentum of games with deep catches. Mahomes is better suited than most QBs to finding Hardman far downfield.
Chiefs Rumors: Frank Clark hints at Chiefs return on Twitter
The Denver Broncos released Frank Clark, which opens the door for a much-anticipated reunion with the Chiefs. Clark won two Super Bowls with Kansas City before signing with the enemy. Pretty much every sign points toward Clark joining his former team, with Andy Reid even saying, "we love Frank."
Nothing is set in stone, but Clark is a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end with four years of dedicated service to Kansas City under his belt. Last season, Clark anchored the line next to Chris Jones with 39 tackles, 13 QB hits, and 5.0 sacks. He would significantly boost the ceiling of a good-not-great Chiefs defense.
On Twitter, Clark appeared to hint at a potential return to the Chiefs.
The Chiefs broke out championship belts after their Super Bowl win last season. The picture appears to show Clark entering Arrowhead Stadium. He certainly didn't earn a title belt with the Broncos. It doesn't take a genius academic to decode Clark's message here.
It will ultimately fall on Kansas City's front office to decide if Clark is worth another go-around (he is). The Chiefs should remain all-in on competing for a championship as long as Mahomes is on the roster. That requires a potent defense to back up the explosive offense. Jones' return from an early-season holdout has the Chiefs' defense in a good place. Clark's return, however — in addition to the aforementioned reinstatement of Omenihu — would push the Chiefs into completely different territory.
