The Kansas City Chiefs have faced a series of setbacks with key offensive players being sidelined in recent weeks.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury, while Marquise Brown is anticipated to be out for several months with a shoulder issue.
On Monday, head coach Andy Reid confirmed that JuJu Smith-Schuster will miss the Chiefs’ upcoming game against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a hamstring injury.
Smith-Schuster sustained the injury during practice last week and aggravated it in the first quarter of Kansas City’s 28-18 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
These injuries raise concerns for the Chiefs, who may now be looking for external reinforcements at the wide receiver position.
On Tuesday, it was announced that they would also need to seek depth at another key position.
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Browns have signed Bailey Zappe from the Chiefs’ practice squad.
“A new QB in Cleveland: The Browns are signing Bailey Zappe off the Chiefs practice squad, per sources,” Pelissero posted on X.
“With Deshaun Watson’s season over and Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s status in flux, Jameis Winston could start Sunday vs. Baltimore and Zappe would back him up.”
The Chiefs added Zappe to their practice squad in August after the 25-year-old quarterback was released by the New England Patriots following training camp this summer.
Zappe was originally selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Kansas City currently has quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz on their 53-man roster.
With Zappe now headed to Cleveland, the Chiefs do not have a third quarterback available as an emergency option during games.
