Kansas City Secret Weapon: Chiefs Elevate Surprising Player Ahead of AFC Championship
The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly made their final roster moves ahead of Sunday’s AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills.
On Saturday, the Chiefs elevated two players from their practice squad: wide receiver Justyn Ross and linebacker Swayze Bozeman, according to Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest.
Bozeman’s elevation comes as no surprise; he was elevated from the practice squad the maximum number of times (three) in the regular season, earning 57 total special teams snaps as a member of special teams coordinator Dave Toub’s units. Since practice squad roster elevations reset for the playoffs, Bozeman was eligible to be called up again last week against the Houston Texans, when he took 16 special teams snaps (62%).
Ross’s elevation to the active roster is curious. While last week’s second elevation was given to veteran safety Deon Bush, Bush did not take a snap in KC’s divisional round victory. Ross appeared in two games for the Chiefs in November but received just one target that fell incomplete.
The Chiefs are as healthy as can be at this point in the season, boasting an injury report with no game day designations for Sunday’s showdown. While the team is still without players who remain on the injured reserve list, such as wide receivers Rashee Rice and Mecole Hardman, the entire active roster should be considered good to go for Sunday’s conference championship game.
While it’s possible that the official end of Hardman’s season gave Kansas City reason to elevate Ross, Hardman was also absent from the divisional round and the Chiefs had no shortage of mouths to feed amongst their wide receivers. Ross also should not be expected to take on a role on special teams, as opposed to active-roster wide receiver Nikko Remigio, who has taken Hardman’s vacated returner role.
