Chiefs Reward Emerging Rookie After Devastating Injury News
The Kansas City Chiefs revealed a 53-man roster move ahead of Week 8, following the Omarr Norman-Lott injury news on October 20.
“We have placed DT Omarr Norman-Lott on Reserve/Injured. We have signed Practice Squad player CB Kevin Knowles to an active roster contract,” the Chiefs announced on October 21.
We have placed DT Omarr Norman-Lott on Reserve/Injured.
We have signed Practice Squad player CB Kevin Knowles to an active roster contract.
Knowles, 22, is an undrafted rookie who emerged throughout the spring and summer, only to earn three immediate practice squad elevations from Week 2 through Week 4.
Although Knowles is a cornerback and nickel DB by trade, the rookie has done well to impress special teams coordinator Dave Toub. For that reason, 100% of his NFL snaps so far have come on special teams.
Within an organization like Kansas City’s, that show of trust can reveal a great deal. Not only does Knowles provide energy and juice, but he’s also likely a very intelligent, hard-working, and polished youngster if he’s caught the eye of Toub and head coach Andy Reid this early.
Omarr Norman-Lott’s Rookie Season Is Over as Chiefs Make IR News Official
There is no sugarcoating it, losing Norman-Lott to a torn ACL hurts. The Chiefs’ interior defensive line depth was very thin going into draft season earlier this spring.
Then, KC revealed their master plan, spending a second-round selection on the Tennessee product. And Norman-Lott lived up to the hype throughout training camp and the early season.
Despite only registering 1.0 sack and 1 tackle for a loss over his first 5 games, Norman-Lott plugged a hole on the Chiefs’ D-line, and he had been doing his job well for a rookie. The hope was that he’d continue to develop as the season progressed, eventually turning into Chris Jones’ right-hand man on the interior.
Now that development will be halted for the remainder of this season, and potentially, most of next year’s spring and summer program.
In the meantime, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach must also replace Norman-Lott, which he has yet to do.
Chiefs Beat Reporter Calls for ‘Reinforcements’ Ahead of Week 8
Yesterday, on October 20, Chiefs Digest beat reporter Matt Derrick posted a call to action after hearing the Norman-Lott news.
“[The] Chiefs need reinforcements on the interior,” Derrick proclaimed on X, and he’s not wrong.
As noted above, Veach must add some more defensive tackle help in the coming weeks. The first roster move after Norman-Lott’s injury, Knowles’ promotion, ignores this need. But the Chiefs likely have another transaction or two up their sleeve.
Kansas City only has Jones, Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery left on the active roster at D-tackle, although Mike Danna and Malik Herring can help out inside in certain situations.
They also have DTs Zacch Pickens, Brodric Martin and Marlon Tuipulotu on the practice squad. And you can expect that one or two of them will be elevated for Week 8, assuming no one else is signed to the active roster between now and Monday night.
Of the three, Martin has already been elevated once in 2025 (but did not appear in the game), and Tuipulotu has been elevated twice. That means Tuipulotu can only be elevated one more time before he must join Knowles on the 53-man roster.
Overlooked Starter Facing Criticism for Steelers Defensive Woes
The Pittsburgh Steelers had major issues trying to cover the Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers and place pressure on quarterback Joe Flacco in Week 7. But Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin blamed the run defense as much as anything for the team’s issues in Cincinnati.
On Thursday, former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke had one player in mind to blame for the Steelers poor run defense — Keeanu Benton.
“Two of those [long runs allowed] were Keeanu Benton,” Hoke argued on Thursday’s The Pomp and Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan, via Steelers Depot’s Jeremy Pike. “He’s just got to be in his gap.
“I praised him a couple times over the last couple weeks about how he played; I think he played very, very well against the Vikings in Dublin. I think he had a sack and a half. He had a couple tackles for a loss. Played extremely well in terms of technique and leverage.
“Then this game, whether you’re trying to make a play, whatever you’re trying to do, it’s not consistent.”
Steelers’ Keeanu Benton Struggling to Take Next Step in Development
As Benton has gone this season, so has the Pittsburgh defense. Really, he has been a microcosm of the play from the Steelers defense this season.
Benton posted a below average Pro Football Focus player grade in run defense during the first three weeks of the season and in Week 7. In those four games, the Steelers allowed an average of 140 rushing yards per contest.
In Weeks 4 and 6, Benton recorded an average PFF run defense grade. During those two games, the Steelers yielded 135 rushing yards total.
PFF grades are not the end all, be all. Benton also hasn’t posted a PFF run defense grade above 61 (out of 100) in any game this season. So even in his better performances, Benton hasn’t been elite.
But it does appear that when he struggles to stay in his gap, the Steelers run defense experiences major issues.
The Steelers will enter Week 8 ranked 17th in rushing yards allowed per contest.
Another Former Steelers Player Criticizes Defensive Line
Hoke, who started 10 games for the Steelers No. 1-ranked defense in 2004, wasn’t the only former Pittsburgh player who didn’t like what he saw from the black and gold last week.
Former Steelers full back Merril Hodge didn’t call out Benton specifically. But Hodge was very critical of the Pittsburgh defensive line.
“The thing that was probably the most concerning was their defensive line kind of fell back into the first two weeks,” Hodge said during an appearance on 102.5 WDVE this week, via Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora. “How they kinda got manhandled. Cincinnati manhandled them up front.”
Simply put, that’s just not a recipe for success.
Benton has to play better, but so does the rest of the Steelers defensive line.
In six games this season, Benton has posted 12 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also has five quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks.
At PFF, Benton has registered mostly ugly grades. He has excelled the most, according to the PFF grades, at rushing the passer.
