Andy Reid Clears 2 Chiefs Roster Spots After Powell Release
andy reid oversaw a roster reset this week as the Chiefs cleared two spots on their 90-man roster. Kansas City released running back ShunDerrick Powell and gave offensive lineman Chukwuebuka Godrick an international player exemption.
The exemption keeps Godrick from counting against the offseason limit, which lets Kansas City carry 91 players into training camp. For a team working through organized team activities after missing the postseason for the first time in over a decade, that extra spot gives the staff more room to sort out the depth chart.
Powell Leaves Kansas City
Powell’s exit trims a backfield that already changed during the 2026 NFL Draft. Kansas City traded up in the fifth round to take Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, and Powell’s release came in that same crowded picture.
The running back had arrived in the league as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. He did not last long in Kansas City once the Chiefs added another runner and began adjusting the roster for the next stretch of the offseason.
Godrick Keeps His Place
Godrick’s move went the other way. The international player exemption means he does not count against the 90-man offseason roster limit, so the Chiefs can keep him without sacrificing a spot elsewhere.
He has been with the organization in various roles since 2023, and his value rose late last season when injuries along the offensive line forced him onto the active roster. He started three games, which turned a developmental holdover into a player the Chiefs were willing to protect through this roster shift.
Andy Reid and the 91-player limit
The practical effect is simple: Kansas City can operate with 91 players instead of 90 as long as Godrick remains under the exemption. That extra room matters now, not later, because the Chiefs are shaping their offseason group while trying to get back from a year that ended without a playoff berth.
Powell’s release and Godrick’s exemption show how the roster is being pruned and preserved at the same time. One player leaves, one keeps his place without counting against the total, and Reid gets a little more flexibility before camp tightens the roster again.
