Chiefs sign 15th and 16th players to practice squad

On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs signed two more players to their practice squad: tight end Kendall Blanton and linebacker Cole Christiansen. Friend-of-the-site Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest had the report. The team now has its full complement of 16 players on the squad.

Blanton, 26, is a native of Kansas City suburb Blue Springs Missouri — and is the son of Jerry Blanton, who was a Chiefs linebacker from 1979 through 1985.

The Los Angeles Rams signed Blanton as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri in 2019. He appeared in one game that season, followed by two full years on the team’s practice squad. But in 2021, he appeared in 11 regular-season games — starting two — and started Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals. Over 2021, he had four catches for just 37 yards — plus seven for 75 more in the postseason.

The Chiefs tried to claim Blanton when the Rams waived him on August 22, but the Washington Commanders were awarded his contract. Waived by the Commanders on final cutdown day, he then cleared waivers — and will now practice with the Chiefs.

Christiansen, 25, played his college ball at West Point. Now in the Army Reserves, he will shift to active duty when his NFL career concludes. An undrafted free agent for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020, he ended up on the practice squad after final cutdowns and was elevated for three games before being activated to the roster for one more. He also spent the 2021 season on the Chargers’ practice squad, appearing in three more games. Los Angeles primarily used him as a special-teams player.