The reigning two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs‘ 53-man roster is set, and their focus can now shift to preparations for their regular-season opener. Kansas City’s road to an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat, and the franchise’s fifth Lombardi Trophy, begins on Thursday night, Sept. 5, when they host reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens for the NFL Kickoff Game.
A lot can happen with the Chiefs, and every other NFL team, between now and Week 1. Even with the Chiefs’ 53-man roster set, they can still sign free agents to their practice squad ahead of their regular-season opener. Here are five free-agent targets for the Chiefs.
5 Potential Free Agent Targets for the Chiefs
Alex Leatherwood, Offensive Tackle
A first-round draft pick out of Alabama in 2021, Alex Leatherwood’s career got off to a decent start when he played and started in all 17 regular-season games with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. Since then, though, he hasn’t been able to find a stable role in the NFL.
Leatherwood was waived by the Raiders after the 2021 season, and he has only played in four games since his rookie season, all with the Chicago Bears in 2022. He spent all of 2023 on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad and was just cut by the Los Angeles Chargers.
But Leatherwood still has talent, and the Chiefs could use depth behind right tackle Jawaan Taylor. Leatherwood was a unanimous All-American in 2020 and won the Outland Trophy that same year at Alabama.
Jalen Davis, Cornerback
Jalen Davis has played in 55 games throughout his six-year career with three different teams. He most recently found a stable role with the Cincinnati Bengals the last four years, where he played in 50 games over that span.
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The Chiefs could use depth at cornerback with current starter Joshua Williams dealing with a hamstring injury. Not that Davis would start, but he does have extended, valuable experience and is serviceable if he has to come in off the practice squad or bench.
Siaki Ika, Defensive Tackle
Siaki Ika was a third-round pick by the Browns in 2023. He played in four games his rookie season before not making the team’s 53-man roster in 2024.
The Chiefs are set at defensive tackle, led by Chris Jones, but it never hurts to have depth in the trenches. That’s especially true for a Chiefs team going for a Super Bowl three-peat and navigating through a wicked tough schedule.
Tre Flowers, Cornerback
Tre Flowers has played in 90 games and started 44 of them. That includes his first two seasons in Seattle where he played in 42 games and started 37 of them over his first three seasons.
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Flowers played his last three seasons in Cincinnati, where he appeared in 43 games. He had one interception and five passes defended. The Chiefs saw him multiple times when he was with the Bengals, and he could be a crucial piece for a secondary that will be navigating new faces and injuries — at least right now with Williams — this season.
Jackson Carman, Offensive Tackle
A former second-round draft pick in 2021, Jackson Carman struggled in his three seasons with the Bengals and throughout training camp and the preseason in 2024. But the Chiefs have seen a lot of Carman, including in two AFC Championship Games.
The Chiefs know the Bengals well, so they could be willing to take a chance on the fourth-year tackle out of Clemson. Sometimes things don’t work out for players with one team, but it could work out with another team. And like Joe Burrow, using his legs is a big part of Patrick Mahomes’ game. That could make up for any deficiencies in Carman’s game if he has to step in for current starting right tackle Taylor.