The Chiefs have gotten plenty of production from their linebackers this season, and the team will soon be adding another member to that rotation. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will activate Joe Mays from the short-term injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team has waived linebacker Jerry Franklin. As Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star notes (via Twitter), there is no guarantee that Mays will play this weekend.
The 29-year-old has bounced around a bit since being selected in the sixth round of the 2008 draft by the Eagles. He arguably had his best statistical season in 2013 with the Texans, when he compiled 42 tackles in 14 games. ProFootballFocus.com’s metrics (subscription required) ranked Mays favorably, placing him among the top-ten defenders for Houston last season. Mays signed a two-year, $6MM deal with the Chiefs in March. He was placed on the IR during training camp after injuring his wrist.
Franklin went undrafted out of Arkansas in 2012, and he eventually caught on with the Bears. The 26-year-old has appeared in seven games this season, collecting four tackles while playing primarily special teams.