The Chiefs will have another helping of Sausage in 2019

UPDATE: Monday, 11:38 a.m. Arrowhead Time

The Chiefs make the signing of fullback Anthony Sherman official, via their Twitter account.

Another year of the fullback position for Andy Reid in Kansas City.

Original post: Friday, March 22, 12:38 p.m. Arrowhead Time

During our very first Arrowhead Pride live Q&A on Thursday, we were asked if we thought Kansas City Chiefs free agent fullback Anthony Sherman would be resigned by the team in 2019. Although we both characterized our opinions as leaning that way, both Pete Sweeney and I thought Sherman wouldn’t be back in 2019; Sherman might be too expensive, and the Chiefs had signed former Green Bay Packers fullback Aaron Ripkowski to a reserve/future contract.

I’m very happy to report that according to a new report from ESPN NFL insider Field Yates, Pete and I were wrong.

Sherman, 30, is being signed to a one-year contract that will return him to the team for his ninth NFL season — seven of them with the Chiefs. He is the first Chiefs free agent to be resigned by the team.

Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft, Sherman arrived in Kansas City via a trade for Chiefs cornerback Javier Arenas in 2013. At the time, the move was a head-scratcher for many Chiefs fans. The Chiefs had just drafted Kansas State fullback Braden Wilson in the sixth round, and people didn’t understand why the Chiefs would trade for another fullback.

But Andy Reid wanted a fullback, and he wanted to be sure he had a good one.

Wilson didn’t make the team, and Sherman has now played in 124 consecutive games for the Chiefs. He has acquired many nicknames, but to his teammates, he is known simply as Sausage.

His stats have never been that impressive for the Chiefs — 20 carries for only 53 yards rushing, plus 50 receptions for 414 yards — but Sherman is a hard-nosed player who is an excellent blocker, reliable pass-catcher and special teams ace. He has long been viewed as one of the cornerstones of Dave Toub’s outstanding special teams units.

And what would Chiefs training camp be without Sherman’s annual opening day fashion statement? Last season, we even published a retrospective of Sherman’s opening day costumes.

So now, Chiefs fans will be able to look forward to at least one more of these getups when training camp opens this summer.

Welcome home, Anthony.