Chiefs Place Felix Anudike-Uzomah on IR, Waive RB Elijah Young, Add Two Defenders

The Kansas City Chiefs’ injury woes continue to pile up with the latest being second-year defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who’s now expected to miss the 2025 NFL season to the injured reserve list due to a hamstring injury.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah’s Hamstring Hampers Championship Hopes

Just when you thought the Chiefs might catch a break, the football gods decided to throw another curveball. Anudike-Uzomah, the promising pass rusher who was supposed to be making waves in his sophomore season, will instead be making waves from the sideline. The hamstring injury that’s been nagging him finally reached the point where the medical staff said “enough is enough.”

This isn’t exactly the news Chiefs Kingdom wanted to hear, especially considering the investment they made in the former Kansas State standout. The young defender showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie campaign,

The timing couldn’t be worse, really. With training camp in full swing and the regular season approaching faster than Patrick Mahomes can say “no-look pass,” losing depth at the defensive end position creates a domino effect that’ll have Steve Spagnuolo having to make some major personnel changes.

Chiefs Shuffle the Deck with Multiple Roster Moves

But wait, there’s more! Because when it rains in Kansas City, it apparently pours roster moves. The Chiefs didn’t stop at just placing Felix on IR. Oh no, they decided to make it a full-blown transaction bonanza on Monday.

First up on the chopping block was running back Elijah Young. The undrafted free agent from Marshall had been grinding through training camp, probably dreaming of those glory days when he rushed for over 1,000 yards in college. Unfortunately for Young, dreams don’t always translate to NFL roster spots, and his stay in Kansas City has come to an end.

Owen Carney Gets Another Shot at NFL Glory

In a classic case of one door closing and another opening, the Chiefs decided to give Owen Carney another chance to prove he belongs in the big leagues. The former Illinois linebacker/defensive end hybrid brings some much-needed depth to a position group that just took a significant hit with Anudike-Uzomah’s departure.

Carney’s journey to Kansas City reads like a roadmap of NFL near-misses. After wrapping up a solid college career with the Fighting Illini, where he racked up 116 tackles and 16 sacks over five seasons, he’s been bouncing around the league like a pinball. Miami gave him a look during rookie minicamp, Cincinnati signed him to a futures contract, and now the Chiefs are rolling the dice on his potential.

At 25 years old, Carney knows this might be his last best shot at making it stick. His 6.5-sack senior season earned him All-Big Ten honorable mention, but college production and NFL success don’t always go hand in hand. Still, with Charles Omenihu already on the PUP list and now Felix heading to IR, opportunity is knocking louder than Arrowhead Stadium on a Sunday afternoon.

Xander Mueller Joins the Mix

The Chiefs also decided to add some linebacker depth by signing Xander Mueller, a Northwestern graduate who’s been flying under the radar despite putting up some impressive numbers in the Big Ten. Mueller finished fourth in the conference in tackles last season and became just the third Big Ten player in 25 years to post 100 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions in the same season.

The 6-foot, 232-pound defender brings the kind of high-motor, instinctive play that Chiefs fans have come to appreciate. Sure, he might struggle a bit in coverage and occasionally gets washed out due to his size, but his nose for the football and sideline-to-sideline range could make him a valuable special teams contributor while he learns the system.

The Bigger Picture for Kansas City

These moves highlight both the brutal reality of NFL roster construction and the Chiefs’ commitment to maintaining depth across all position groups. While losing Anudike-Uzomah for an extended period is far from ideal, the organization’s ability to quickly pivot and bring in potential contributors shows why they’ve remained competitive year after year.

The Chiefs enter another season with championship expectations, but injuries like this serve as a reminder that depth matters just as much as star power. Whether Carney and Mueller can step up and contribute remains to be seen, but in a league where next man up isn’t just a cliche but a survival mechanism, these additions could prove more valuable than anyone expects.

As training camp continues and the preseason approaches, all eyes will be on how these new faces integrate with the team’s championship culture. Because in Kansas City, there’s no time to feel sorry for yourself when there are rings to be won.