The Kansas City Chiefs cleaned the house on Monday, parting ways with several veterans and young players. The departure list surprisingly included defensive end Taco Charlton, who previously seemed to have good chances to make the roster.
Charlton, a first-round pick by Dallas Cowboys in 2017, joined the Chiefs in 2020. He played seven games, totaling eight tackles, 2.0 sacks, and one forced fumble before broken ankle ended his season prematurely.
Besides Charlton, the Chiefs also said goodbye to safety Will Parks, offensive lineman Bryan Witzmann, quarterback Anthony Gordon, and linebacker Riley Cole.
Taco Charlton reportedly lost his place on the team due to the development of the Chiefs’ younger player. Head coach Andy Reid liked what he saw from 2020’s fifth-round pick Mike Danna, and 2019’s undrafted free agent pickup Tim Ward so far in the preseason and believes they are the better option moving forward.
“Taco is going to play in the league,” Reid told reporters after the news about Charlton’s release became official. “He’s too good of a player not to. It just didn’t work out in this case.”
It also didn’t help that the Chiefs’ All-Pro tackle Chris Jones decided to switch positions. Jones has excelled as a defensive end in the preseason, and he’ll most likely stick to the role once the 2021 NFL season kicks off.
