Chiefs waive defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth from active roster

According to his agent Brett Tessler, defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth is being waived from the Kansas City Chiefs’ active roster.

Now that the NFL is past the 2022 trade deadline, all released players go through the waiver process — meaning that any other team can put in a claim to take over Stallworth’s Kansas City contract. Among the teams that place claims, the franchise with the worst record is awarded the player.

Back in April, the Chiefs signed the 27-year-old Stallworth as depth on the interior of the defensive line. But after Khalen Saunders had a strong camp, Stallworth didn’t make it past the final roster cutdown. He was then signed on the practice squad — but after Tershawn Wharton went on injured reserve in mid-October, Stallworth was activated to the 53-man roster.

Stallworth joined the NFL as a 2018 undrafted free agent for the New Orleans Saints out of South Carolina. He spent two seasons with the Saints and two with the Indianapolis Colts before coming to Kansas City, where he appeared in six games, collecting four tackles (one of them solo).

What might be his most memorable play in a Chiefs uniform took place during Sunday’s 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, when Stallworth was flagged for roughing the passer after landing on quarterback Joe Burrow with his full weight.

What the Chiefs intend to do with Stallworth’s open roster spot is currently unknown. But it’s possible that the team could make a position-for-position move by activating Brandon Williams or Danny Shelton from the practice squad. Activating a special-teams player to the 53 might be another possibility. Marcus Kemp, Zayne Anderson and Cornell Powell have all been elevated to the active roster three times — the maximum number allowed during the regular season.