Chiefs release tight end David Wells; put Keith Reaser on injured reserve

After announcing that the team had signed former New York Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne on Thursday night, the Kansas City Chiefs needed to make a corresponding roster move on Friday to keep their roster at the mandated 90-man limit.

Per the NFL’s Friday transaction report, the Chiefs have waived tight end David Wells. He was listed with an injury designation, so if he clears waivers, he will be placed on injured reserve.

The former San Diego State tight end entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. Cut by the Cowboys at the end of training camp, he was signed to the Chiefs practice squad in mid-September. He was briefly released and resigned to the practice squad in October, and was signed to a reserve/futures contract in January.

Wells, 24, played in 26 games during his four-year college career with the Aztecs, amassing 448 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 38 catches — most of them in his junior season.

Wells was considered a longshot to make the Chiefs roster this season. Still, his departure provides some clarity in a crowded field of players vying to play behind star tight end Travis Kelce. Four other tight ends — Blake Bell, John Lovett, Deon Yelder and Nick Keizer — are now competing to make the team. Lovett, however, was also listed as a fullback in the Chiefs depth chart released earlier this week.

Catching up on the news that the Chiefs signed defensive end Hunter Dimick on Wednesday evening:

Thursday’s NFL transactions report placed Chiefs cornerback Keith Reaser on injured reserve after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in training camp on July 29. This was exactly what we believed the Chiefs had done to make space for Dimick; the NFL’s transaction report merely confirms it.

After suffering a quad injury during last season’s training camp with the Chiefs, Reaser was released with an injury settlement. Placing him on injured reserve suggests that this time, the Chiefs have hope he could return by the end of the season — or want to have the opportunity to give him one more shot next season.

Reaser played two full seasons for the San Francisco 49ers before being signed to the Chiefs practice squad in September 2017. He was on the active roster for the final game of that season and the playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans. After his release from the Chiefs last year, he had a spectacular season in the AAF before being signed to the Chiefs immediately after the league folded.