The Chiefs are now starting their third game in a row and will be without one of their regular players. Charles Omenihu remains on the team’s PUP list and moves to the Reserve/PUP at the beginning of the season.

The two-time defending champions hope the 2023 free agency signing can return in November, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The former Texans and 49ers edge player suffered a torn ACL during the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game win in Baltimore and was expected to begin the season without a roster.

Omenihu, who turned 27 last week, will only have to miss four games as a result of this transaction. But it seems clear that the Chiefs don’t expect him back until midseason. Considering Omenihu suffered the tear in late January, this timeline isn’t surprising.

The Chiefs gave Omenihu a two-year, $16 million contract as a free agent last year. Although he served a six-game suspension early last season – for a domestic violence arrest in January 2023 – and then ended it with a torn ACL, Omenihu already stated he deserved a new contract. He totaled seven sacks in 11 games and added an eighth during their shortened game against the Ravens, forcing two fumbles. But it looks like he’ll have to wait there; the Chiefs will likely evaluate Omenihu’s form after surgery before making a move.

Kansas City has a former first-round player Georg Karlaftis Anchor for the Edge Rush, and the team signed a versatile D-Lineman Mike Danna this offseason. The Chiefs did not trade the 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah He saw a lot of playing time as a rookie, but Omenihu’s removal from the roster opens new doors for the Kansas City area native.

Another defensive end will also begin the season outside of Kansas City’s roster. BJ Thompsonwho suffered a cardiac arrest during a special teams meeting in June, will begin the season on the NFI list, notes Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Thompson suffered a seizure and was hospitalized, but the Chiefs expect the 2023 fifth-round pick to play this season.