Chiefs Cut Brandon George Before He Ever Played a Regular Season Snap
The Kansas City Chiefs waived linebacker Brandon George on May 5, closing the door on a one-year tenure that never produced a single regular season appearance. George, an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh, landed on injured reserve before the 2025 season began and never returned. The Chiefs moved on with no draft capital spent at the position and a projected five-man linebacker group already in place heading into 2026.
Why Did the Chiefs Sign Brandon George in the First Place?
Kansas City’s interest in George predated his undrafted signing. The Chiefs attended his pro day and brought him in for a top-30 visit before the draft — a level of pre-draft engagement that signaled genuine organizational investment. Rocky Magana of Arrowhead Pride noted that level of attention at the time, writing that it “wouldn’t surprise me one bit if special teams coordinator Dave Toub’s fist is sore from banging the table for this guy.”
Magana went further, calling George his top candidate among undrafted free agents to crack the 53-man roster as a reserve linebacker and special teams regular. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein echoed that projection, forecasting George could develop into an average backup with special teams value. The pre-draft courtship and post-signing buzz made his IR designation all the more deflating.
What Kind of Player Was Brandon George?
George is a 6’3″, 240-pound inside linebacker who posted strong pro-day testing numbers and served as a team captain at Pittsburgh. Zierlein described him as an “inside linebacker who boasts a burly frame and outstanding pro-day testing numbers,” while flagging inconsistency in run-fitting and reads as the primary concern. George spent five of his six college seasons primarily on special teams before earning a full-time starting role in 2024, when he recorded 80 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.
Magana’s assessment cut to the core of George’s profile: “His success depends on staying one step ahead of the offense and triggering downhill before anyone else does.” High football IQ and positional awareness were his calling cards. Raw athleticism was not. His path to an NFL roster required a scheme that rewarded processing speed over physical dominance — and a healthy body to execute it.
| Stat | Total |
|---|---|
| Tackles | 80 |
| Tackles for Loss | 6 |
| Sacks | 2 |
| Forced Fumbles | 3 |
How Did Injury Derail George’s Chiefs Career?
George never made it to a regular season game. The Chiefs placed him on injured reserve before the 2025 season kicked off, ending any chance he had to compete for snaps or demonstrate his special teams value under Toub. He spent the entire year on IR. The May 5 waiver came after a full season on the shelf — one year with the organization, zero regular season appearances.
The source article does not specify the nature of George’s injury. What is clear is that the Chiefs gave him a full year before making the roster decision, rather than cutting him outright when he was first designated to IR.
Where Do the Chiefs Stand at Linebacker Heading Into 2026?
Kansas City enters the offseason with a settled linebacker room. SI.com’s Jordan Foote projects a five-man roster group: Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Cooper McDonald, Jeffrey Bassa, and Jack Cochrane. Bolton anchors the unit after signing a three-year, $45 million extension and posting a 78.9 PFF grade with 154 total tackles in 2025. Tranquill restructured his deal to stay, taking a reduced cap hit of roughly $5 million total.
The Chiefs did not draft a linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft. That decision alone signals organizational confidence in the current depth. Foote noted that Toub has a clear preference for Cochrane on special teams, the role George had been projected to compete for. The door George was expected to walk through is now firmly occupied.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Nick Bolton | Starting MLB |
| Drue Tranquill | Starting LB |
| Cooper McDonald | SAM / Starter |
| Jeffrey Bassa | Rotational / Second Year |
| Jack Cochrane | Special Teams / Depth |
What Does George’s Release Mean for the Chiefs’ Depth Chart?
The most direct beneficiary of George’s release is Jeffrey Bassa. With no linebacker drafted and George now gone, the second-year player enters 2026 without a direct competitor for his roster spot. Foote projected that the Chiefs’ decision to skip the position in the draft “bodes well for Jeffrey Bassa, who could assume some more defensive snaps in his second campaign.” That runway just got cleaner.
For George, the outcome is straightforward and unfortunate. He arrived with legitimate organizational interest, a credible pre-draft evaluation, and the skill set to contribute on special teams. Injury removed his only path to proving it. He never played a snap for Kansas City. His NFL future now depends on whether another team takes a chance on a 240-pound linebacker with a strong college finish and a year of lost development.
The Chiefs, for their part, move forward without a gap at the position. They didn’t need George to work out. He just didn’t get the chance to.
