Training camp season is nearly upon us as all 32 NFL teams are set to begin their respective sessions in the coming weeks. The Kansas City Chiefs will begin their camp on Friday, July 21 as they hope to walk away with the best 53-man roster possible before gunning for a third straight Super Bowl victory next season.
The Chiefs' roster will likely be similar to last year's unit, however, some pieces will be missing. After all, the NFL's salary cap limited just how many of Kansas City's free agents could be re-signed. While names like Michael Danna, Derrick Nnadi, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire will return for another season, others signed elsewhere or are still sitting on the open market today.
When it comes to the latter, here are five former Chiefs who are still unemployed before training camp.
1. Donovan Smith, OT
Donovan Smith was one of the Chiefs' biggest free agents this offseason and he's still looking for a home as of the middle of July.
The former Penn State block joined the Chiefs on a one-year deal ahead of the 2023 campaign. While he was instantly named the starting left tackle, he only wound up playing 12 regular-season contests as well as the entire Super Bowl run.
Unfortunately, Smith didn't exactly excel with his limited opportunities. The 31-year-old veteran surrendered 33 hurries on 506 passing downs, per Pro Football Focus, resulting in a career-worst 60.3 pass block grade. He wasn't any better at helping the ground game as his 45.1 run block grade was the second-worst mark of his nine-year career.
With his body breaking down and performance declining, Smith is unlikely to see another major contract. That isn't to say that a team won't offer him a cheap one-year deal due to his resume alone, however, it's hard to imagine many general managers believing that he can still be a week-to-week starter.
Considering how there hasn't even any buzz about potential suitors since May, Smith might have to wait a while before he finds his next destination.
2. Blaine Gabbert, QB
Much like Smith, Blaine Gabbert joined the Chiefs on a one-year deal last offseason. The former Missouri quarterback was given the most stress-free job in the league — backing up Mahomes — after long-time QB2 Chad Henne announced his NFL retirement following the Super Bowl LVII victory.
As expected, Gabbert hardly broke a sweat during the 2023 season. The 34-year-old signal-caller only made two appearances — once in a Week 3 blowout vs. the Bears and a Week 18 start vs. Los Angeles Chargers — resulting in 18 completions on 35 attempts for 185 passing yards and three interceptions without a touchdown.
Even if he wasn't brought in to light the world on fire, those aren't the type of numbers that you want from your backup quarterback. Could you imagine if Mahomes got injured and Kansas City's season was put in Gabbert's hands?
The Chiefs clearly weren't impressed with Gabbert's performance. They promptly added former 2021 fourth-rounder Ian Book on a future contract back in January before signing former NFL MVP candidate Carson Wentz to a one-year deal once free agency began.
With most backup QB positions filled at this point, Gabbert's outlook isn't that promising. While a team possibly wouldn't mind having his experience on the practice squad, his poor performance last season may result in his remaining jobless.
3. Jerick McKinnon, RB
The Chiefs' running back room is looking fairly packed ahead of this year's training camp. Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are back to lead the group while rookies Carson Steele, Louis Rees-Zammit, and Emani Bailey are set to compete against the likes of Keaontay Ingram, Deneric Prince, and Hassan Hall for the remaining opportunities.
In other words, there wasn't any room to re-sign Jerick McKinnon.
McKinnon, 32, was with the Chiefs since the 2021 NFL season. Although he was limited to a backup role during that stretch, he still made the most of his opportunities, amassing 1,224 scrimmage yards and 16 touchdowns on 199 touches (6.2 yards per opportunity).
He also gained experience from Kansas City's back-to-back Super Bowl runs, including when he tallied 60 rushing yards and 32 receiving yards during the 2022 postseason.
But despite his championship experience and explosivity, McKinnon is still look for a job. He has been "connected" to teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, however, that seems to be more speculation than anything given that no concrete leads have emerged in recent weeks.
Running backs tend to get banged up, though, so McKinnon likely won't have to wait long for a phone call. It just remains to be seen how long the ex-Georgia Southern rusher must wait.
4. Richie James, WR
Joining the one-and-done list is none other than Richie James.
The veteran wide receiver joined a weak Chiefs wide receiver group last offseason, but didn't do much to set himself apart from the pack. While he managed to catch 71.4% of his targets (10-of-14), he only registered 114 receiving yards on those catches while failing to find the end zone in each of his nine appearances. He was active in all four of Kansas City's playoff games, however, one reception for six yards isn't much to write home about.
Even though James wasn't the most efficient pass-catcher, he still left a mark on special teams. He averaged a career-high 10.0 yards on 20 punt returns and even returned nine kicks for a total of 187 yards.
Unfortunately, James' unemployment may be a result of the NFL's new kickoff rules. The new guidelines tend to favor running backs more than receivers, which is bad news for the 28-year-old. It certainly doesn't help that he's broken just five tackles in his last 27 games.
James is far from washed, so I fully expect him to eventually get another NFL opportunity. It just may not happen until an injury pops up or a WR-needy team is desperate to add another body.
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