Getting to know new Chiefs offensive tackle David Steinmetz

On Monday morning, we learned from his agent’s announcement that the Kansas City Chiefs were signing offensive tackle Evin Ksiezarczyk. Later in the day, Kansas City announced its corresponding roster move: placing undrafted free agent wide receiver Justyn Ross on the Reserve/Injured (injured reserve) list.

At the same time, the Chiefs announced they had signed another offensive tackle: David Steinmetz. Like Ksiezarczyk, the former Purdue offensive lineman has spent most of his NFL career on offseason rosters and practice squads. But unlike Kansas City’s other new tackle, Steinmetz has actually appeared in a handful of NFL games — all of them with the Washington Commanders.

Listed at 6 feet 8 and 321 pounds, the 27-year-old Steinmetz is a native of Grafton, Massachusetts. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins following the 2018 NFL Draft. He failed to make Miami’s 53-man roster that fall, but was signed to the Houston Texans’ practice squad in November.

Although a broken ankle suffered during training camp kept him off the field during the 2019 season, he stayed with Houston until mid-August of 2020. Washington signed him a week later, but Steinmetz didn’t survive the final cutdown in DC, either. He was then signed to the Commanders’ practice squad, where he remained through the 2021 season. He was elevated to the active roster for a single game in 2020 and three more in 2021, playing only a few snaps on offense and special teams.

Steinmetz’s signing brings the team’s roster to 91 players. Because the team is carrying Kehinde Oginni Hassan on its offseason roster through the NFL International Pathway Program, it is allowed to have 91 players at this time.

Since Steinmetz’s cap hit will almost certainly be below the team’s 51st-highest, his presence will not reduce Kansas City’s cap space — which we now calculate to be $11.4 million.