With how aggressively the 31 other teams around the league scoop up former Kansas City Chiefs, there are always plenty of familiar faces to track around the league for fans in KC. And during the preseason it can be especially interesting to see which former Chiefs are thriving, and which are struggling.
The worst kind of news to hear about a familiar face, though, is serious injury news. And that's the case for Dicaprio Bootle, who got some of the worst injury news you can get at this time of year on Thursday morning.
The #Lions have placed CB Dicaprio Bootle and OL Keaton Sutherland on the injured reserve list. Both were injured during yesterday’s practice.
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) August 14, 2025
Former Chiefs Corner Dicaprio Bootle's Career in Jeopardy After IR News
Bootle suffered an injury during the Detroit Lions' joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, and being placed on IR on Thursday will officially end his season unless the Lions opt to terminate him with an injury settlement.
Bootle may not have been a household name in Kansas City, but his career with the Chiefs was still noteworthy, and fans in the Kingdom will feel this one, because it could even spell the end of his NFL career.
Bootle spent his first two seasons with the Chiefs after being an undrafted free agent in 2021. That window included winning a ring in Super Bowl LVII. He may not exactly have been instrumental in that game, not seeing any postseason playing time, but that doesn't mean he wasn't contributing day-in and day-out, even if just as a scout team defender in practice.
This is especially tough news because it threatens his entire NFL career. As a 27-year-old journeyman, the Lions were already his fourth team in the last four seasons. He's never played more than 8 games in an NFL season. And now, if this IR placement does end his season, he'll be looking for a job next summer as a 28-year-old former UDFA coming off a lost year. That's not exactly a player archetype in high demand around the league.
He may well end up with another training camp invite or two before all is said and done, but if this does prove to be the end of the line for Bootle, he can hold his head high as a Super Bowl champion.