Overview
- Ethan Downs tore his left ACL during the Chiefs’ opening training-camp practice on Tuesday, and the team confirmed he was placed on injured reserve and will miss the 2026 season.
- Rookie tight end John Michael Gyllenborg was also moved to injured reserve after testing showed a knee injury that ends his rookie year, a decision the team reached after further evaluation.
- Both placements free two spots on the Chiefs’ 90-man offseason roster and have prompted the club to schedule tryouts and rep internal candidates to plug immediate depth needs.
- Downs had worked up from the practice squad after joining Kansas City late in 2025 and was viewed as a special-teams asset, while Gyllenborg is a Kansas City local who had been competing to back up Travis Kelce.
- Expect increased reps for practice-squad holdovers and undrafted players such as Tyreke Smith, VJ Andreson, Anthony Dunn and Mason Pline, and note that media coverage has speculated about low-cost veteran edge options as a possibility but not a confirmed plan.