Damon Arnette Arrested, Released By Chiefs
Damon Arnette was arrested last night in Las Vegas for assault with a deadly weapon, a source tells NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Arnette is also facing weapons and drugs charges (Twitter link). The Chiefs immediately released the cornerback.
This is another troubling off-field incident for the former first-round pick. The Raiders cut Arnette earlier this year after a video surfaced showing him threatening a person while brandishing a handgun. Arnette is also facing multiple lawsuits, one for a car accident that resulted in injuries.
He later caught on with the Dolphins practice squad, and he was inked to a reserve/futures deal with the Chiefs following the regular season. Per Pelissero (on Twitter), the Chiefs signed him “with a commitment to intense counseling and zero tolerance.” Arnette ended up lasting only nine days with his new squad.
The Raiders used Arnette as a seven-game starter in 2020, with the defensive back finishing with 25 tackles and two passes defended. He was relegated to a part-time role this year in Las Vegas, where he collected four tackles in four games before earning his release.
Chiefs’ Tyrann Mathieu Expected To Play Sunday
In the build-up to Sunday’s AFC championship game, the Chiefs may have one of their best defenders available. Head coach Andy Reid indicated that safety Tyrann Mathieu could clear concussion protocol in time to play against the Bengals (Twitter link via Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen). 
Mathieu suffered a concussion after playing only seven snaps in the Chiefs’ dramatic win over the Bills last Sunday, which has put his status in doubt for this week. Specifically, Reid said, “we think he’ll be ready to roll in a day or so”, noting that he has practiced despite not clearing the protocol as of yet.
The 29-year-old has played a major role in Kansas City over the past three years, providing not only Pro Bowl-caliber play but also much-needed leadership and communication. His 2021 stats (76 tackles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions) are par for the course in his career so far, which will make him a highly sought-after free agent this offseason.
Reid was sure to add “we’ll see tomorrow” with regards to Mathieu’s availability. If he weren’t able to suit up, Daniel Sorensen would have a big role to play, alongside fellow starter Juan Thornhill, against a high-powered Bengals’ passing attack.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Interested In Joining Chiefs
After considering an offer from the Chiefs last offseason, wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster will give Kansas City another long look this time around. According to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com, the Steelers wideout “is interested in potentially joining the Chiefs again.”
According to Wilson, the JuJu/Chiefs connection is “no secret in NFL circles,” and many league sources believe the impending FA is hoping to join Kansas City.
Smith-Schuster hasn’t come close to matching his Pro Bowl-worthy 2018 campaign. Following a forgettable 2019 campaign, JuJu somewhat bounced back in 2020, finishing with 97 catches and a career-high nine touchdowns. Still, the former second-round pick had to settle for a one-year, $8MM deal from Pittsburgh for the 2021 campaign.
The 25-year-old struggled to stay on the field in 2021 thanks to early-season shoulder surgery. He ultimately saw time in only five games, hauling in 15 receptions for 129 yards.
In Kansas City, Smith-Schuster would be joining a high-flying offense that’s led by Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. Receivers Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson are set to hit free agency this offseason.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/25/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DT Damion Square
- Released: DT Doug Costin
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Josh Gordon (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: K Ryan Santoso and LS Carson Tinker
- Signed: WR Warren Jackson and TE Kyle Markway
Bears To Hire Ryan Poles As GM
The Bears are in the process of hiring Chiefs assistant director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their next general manager (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The former player in Chicago is coming back, this time to lead the franchise’s front office.
Poles had gotten a request from the Bears for a second interview earlier this week. The fact that he was a finalist for the job wasn’t a surprise, given the interest he was also receiving from the Vikings and Giants. The 37-year-old was also a finalist for the GM job in Carolina last year.
Widely seen as one of the top-up-and-coming executives in the league, Poles has worked his way up the ladder in Kansas City very quickly. After starting out on the college scouting side of the franchise, he has recently worked alongside GM Brett Veach on a much wider scale. Still, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes that Poles will face “a learning curve”, given that he has yet to handle player contracts, among other things, directly. Overall, though, this is being viewed as a very smart hire, leading to optimism that the Bears can move forward from the previous Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace regime and return to playoff contention. As The Draft Scout’s Matt Miller points out (via Twitter), the Chiefs will receive one third-round compensatory pick this year and next as a result of the hire.
This news represents the second GM hire so far, after the Giants brought in Joe Schoen. With Poles hired, that leaves Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the vice president of football operations for the Browns, as the only remaining finalist for the Vikings’ GM vacancy. He is now the favorite to take over in Minnesota. Be sure to keep up to date with all the latest using our GM Search Tracker.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/22
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: WR Josh Gordon (story)
- Activated from IR: DT Khalen Saunders
Chiefs Waive Josh Gordon, Intend To Sign Him To PS
The Chiefs announced that they are waiving wide receiver Josh Gordon. However, they intend to re-sign him to the Practice Squad in the event he isn’t claimed by another team (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). 
Gordon signed with the Chiefs in September in an attempt to make another NFL comeback. He began on the taxi squad, allowing him time to get comfortable with the team’s playbook, before getting elevated to the 53-man roster for the first time in Week 5.
His time in Kansas City represented the first NFL action he had seen since December 2019. That year concluded with a five-game stint in Seattle, which wasn’t nearly as productive as his 17 games (split across two seasons) with the Patriots before, which saw him post 60 catches for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns. The 30-year-old appeared in 12 regular season games with Kansas City, totalling five catches for 32 yards and a touchdown.
Gordon has played a full season only once – his rookie season in 2012 with the Browns. The following year showed everyone why he had so much potential, as he posted 1,646 receiving yards en route to All-Pro honors. Since then, he has been in and out of the league, bouncing around to four different teams. For now, assuming he isn’t claimed, he will look to provide experienced wide receiver depth for the Chiefs as they prepare to host a fourth consecutive AFC Championship game.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
The Divisional Round has come to end, and after each game was decided on the final play, the season has come to a bitter end for another four teams. That brings the total number of squads locked into their first round draft position to 28. Interestingly, the Rams and 49ers are still standing after they each parted ways with top draft picks this past offseason. San Francisco’s first choice is currently slated to be 61st overall, while the Rams aren’t projected to be on the board until the 101st pick. For Los Angeles in particular, the decision is certainly paying off so far.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.
Here is the updated order after this weekend’s results:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
- New England Patriots: 10-7
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
* = Remaining playoff teams
Bears Request Second GM Interview With Ryan Poles
Ryan Poles is getting a second interview in Chicago. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs’ executive director of player personnel has been asked to interview a second time for the Bears GM job.
Poles is already a finalist for the Vikings GM job. He will meet with the Bears on Tuesday and the Vikings on Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The other finalist for the Minnesota job, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, will meet with the organization again on Tuesday (per Albert Breer on Twitter).
Poles has spent much of his career with the Chiefs, working his way up from director of college scouting to executive director of player personnel, where he works alongside GM Brett Veach and assistant GM Mike Borgonzi.
Last offseason, the Chiefs executive was considered for the Panthers GM job. Besides interest from the Vikings and Bears, Poles was also a finalist for the Giants GM gig (a job that ultimately went to Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen).
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/20/22
Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures deals:
Atlanta Falcons
- TE Daniel Helm
Denver Broncos
Indianapolis Colts
- T Jordan Murray
Kansas City Chiefs
- CB Damon Arnette (story)