Chiefs release offensive lineman to make room for Jerick McKinnon

Among the six Kansas City Chiefs players who were absent from Tuesday’s first session of the team’s mandatory minicamp was offensive lineman Darryl Williams. Now we know why Williams was absent: according to the NFL transactions wire, the third-year center has been waived from the team.

The transactions wire also noted the official signing of running back Jerick McKinnon, whose signing had been reported on Monday. Williams’ release brings the team back to the maximum of 90 players. We now estimate that Kansas City now has $11.5 million in salary-cap space.

The 25-year-old Williams was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State following the 2020 NFL Draft. He has yet to be active for an NFL game, but has been a member of the Chiefs practice squad through almost all of the last two seasons. The team signed him to his second Reserve/Futures contract on February 2.

While you should never say “never” about a player who has been around long enough to know a team’s system, this might be the end of the road for Williams in Kansas City. He’s made it as far as final cutdown day in each of the last two seasons — but this time, he didn’t make it as far as mandatory minicamp.