The Kansas City Chiefs garnered quite a bit of attention earlier this week by trading wide receiver Josh Downs. But general manager Brett Veach isn’t really going to neglect the other side of the ball. Ahead of Sunday’s Week 10 game against the Atlanta Falcons, the Chiefs front office brought in two players to help the team extend their 6-2 record. 

“The Kansas City Chiefs have signed DT Marcus Harris to the 53-man roster and signed DE Jack Pyburn to the practice squad,” A to Z Sports’ Charles Goldman wrote on X. 

The Chiefs were dealing with depleted depth along the interior defensive line with rookie defensive tackle Peter Woods missing his second straight game due to a neck stinger, and second-year lineman Omarr Norman-Lott working his way through a back injury. The recent roster move certainly helped the team to retain two familiar developmental defenders while plugging in for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s rotation for the trip to Atlanta. 

Kansas City Chiefs move Marcus Harris to the active roster

It’s worth noting that Harris initially made it to the 53-man roster after an impressive performance in Week 3 of the preseason games. He led the defense with six tackles in that game. Additionally, he was the only interior defensive lineman who recorded a tackle for a loss. He had three tackles for loss in that preseason game. He was indeed a crucial piece for the Chiefs’ tie against the Seattle Seahawks. 

Harris played the most snaps (90) amongst all Chiefs defensive players in the preseason. He recorded a total of eight tackles and one pass defense. The front office moved him to the practice squad later on. To date, he has appeared in only three games for the Chiefs, but not as a starter. Through these three games, he recorded only one combined tackle. 

Well, Harris had his third and final practice squad elevation in last week’s win over the New York Jets. The Chiefs will have to wait till the postseason for the practice squad elevations to reset in order to elevate him. That’s the reason Veach and the front office had to promote him to the 53-man roster. 

The 6-foot-3, 295-pound interior lineman originally began his collegiate career at Kansas, where he broke out with 27 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2020 before transferring to Auburn. Across three seasons with the Tigers, he racked up 97 total tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. And that earned him First-Team All-SEC honors in 2023. Now, it’s time to see if he can replicate those numbers in his second season with the Chiefs. 

“On the surface, promoting a player already on the practice squad seems like a minor transaction. It’s a good sign that Harris earned the coaching staff’s trust, but the move also speaks to how dire the situation has become at defensive tackle,” Goldman noted. “Harris won’t solve every problem up front, but he gives the Chiefs a reliable body who knows the system. His preseason tape also suggests he can make a few plays behind the line of scrimmage when given the opportunity. His quick first step can give interior offensive linemen fits in both the run and pass game.” 

Meanwhile, the Chiefs had to fill the void that Harris left behind in the practice squad. 

The Chiefs bring Jack Pyburn back to Kansas City

To fill in that empty space, the Chiefs brought Jack Pyburn back to the practice squad. Of course, the franchise had already acquired the linebacker on waivers during roster cuts in August. But a few days back, the Chiefs waived Pyburn to make room for Downs on the roster. Unlike Harris, Pyburn didn’t even receive a single activation this season. 

He began his NFL journey as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He certainly impressed the fans by recording four sacks in three games in the preseason. But later on, the Bucs had to cut him. 

During his collegiate seasons, the 6-foot-4, 258-pound linebacker played for the Florida Gators. After recovering from a torn ACL in 2023, he posted 60 tackles, one sack, a forced fumble, and an interception. Later in 2025, he transferred to LSU and played all 12 games (started 11) for the Tigers. He recorded 52 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery in his senior year to earn a 2026 Senior Bowl invite. Across 41 career college games, he totaled 132 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. 

Right now, Pyburn’s return raises the number of defensive linemen on the practice squad to four. Meanwhile, there are eight defensive linemen on the 53-man roster. As they get ready for the game against the Falcons, the Chiefs will certainly rely on Harris and Pyburn.