Rain or shine, the Chiefs have to keep grinding. With preseason right around the corner, they’re still tweaking the roster. This time, the hope is to fix what kept them from going all the way last year. Bringing in wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter II is their newest move. As reporter James Larsen reported, “BREAKING: The Kansas City Chiefs are signing @USFLShowboats WR Kwamie Lassiter II following his workout today, per league source. Lassiter spent this past UFL season with Memphis, totaling 257 yards & 1 TD.” This was supposed to patch things as the injuries continue to pile on.

However, this wasn’t possible unless the team made the space for the WR. For that end, one player had to be cut from the roster. This is because the team chose to end the long-held punter battle at the training camp. On Day 7 of training camp, the Chiefs decided to waive undrafted free agent Jack Czaplicki. He was signed by the team last April. Now, this gives Matt Araiza the official position for the Chiefs’ punter job in the 2025 season.

An X post by Charles Goldman just reported, “The Chiefs’ punter battle is officially over. The team waived P Eddie Czaplicki, which means Matt Araiza will be the team’s punter again in 2025. They also had six players in for tryouts today. They reportedly signed former Kansas WR Kwamie Lassiter II (though not official on today’s personnel notice).”

Many believed that Czaplicki would be the one to get the job. The special-teams coordinator, Dave Toub, had hoped the battle between Czaplicki and Araiza would extend into the preseason. However, as said, one of the main reasons behind the decision is also the piled-up injuries. The Chiefs had to make a decision. The special teams coordinator made it clear that Araiza held an upper hand for the punting job even before Czaplicki’s release.

After a tumultuous start to his pro career, 2024 was Araiza’s first full season in the NFL, and the results were mixed. His strongest leg remains his calling card; however, he needs to learn needs to learn how to contain it when trying to pin opponents deep in their own territory. Despite his ups and downs, Araiza showed flashes of brilliance on the biggest stage. In Super Bowl LIX, he set a new record for average yards per punt with 51.8 across six attempts. His regular season numbers backed that up: 10th in average yards per punt, 16th in punts downed inside the 20, and a league-high nine touchbacks. That mix of production and potential is perhaps why the Chiefs are sticking with him.

Well, just Lassiter doesn’t solve the problems for the Chiefs. It has also hosted five more players. And this includes four defensive backs. Now, this is a clear signal that the team is bracing for more roster movement. If the injury bug continues to bite, a new addition could be right around the corner. Amid this, the Chiefs also had to weather real storms

Weather woes and injuries cause trouble for the Chiefs

The Chiefs’ training camp went off the rails soon after the lightning caused an issue for the team. Bad weather saw the drills moving indoors. And just as the team regrouped, Hollywood Brown was helped off the field after rolling his ankle.  Skyy Moore followed minutes later, limping to the sideline. Then came Worthy’s head injury after a light collision. While his head injury isn’t serious. He was placed in concussion protocol. One by one, as the players exited with injuries, Head coach Andy Reid watched helplessly.

The timing couldn’t be worse as the team tries to sharpen its offensive edge with Super Bowl LX looming. The worst of it all was that Mahomes’ deep ball wasn’t clicking either during 11-on-11 sessions. Well, this wasn’t enough to dash the spirits of the Chiefs. Tensions ran hot despite the rain as a scuffle broke out between rookie linemen Josh Simmons and Ashton Gillote during padded drills.

Reid and Travis Kelce had to step in to break things up. Kelce later downplayed it, calling it “competitive fire.” One of the players, Simmons, has impressed early, which can be considered a small win for the unit. However, it continues to remain on shaky ground unless Reid has a new strategy

With so many moving parts and injuries piling up, Reid’s job just got harder. Adjusting the roster to possibly dipping into the free-agent market is all on the table. How Reid and the squad handle this turbulence may end up defining their season.