Chiefs claim linebacker from Buccaneers to nix LSU plans

The Kansas City Chiefs can no longer just think about the present. They are forced to also address their future after missing the playoffs last season, and that includes pursuing any young talent that becomes available. They are claiming undrafted rookie outside linebacker Jack Pyburn off waivers, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, and in the process, KC is preventing another team from getting its hands on the player.

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut ties with Pyburn, a return to LSU football seemed like the most plausible outcome. The former Tigers and Florida Gators edge rusher was one of 30-plus athletes to secure a temporary restraining order from a Louisiana judge to gain a fifth year of eligibility, which gave him a straightforward path back to Baton Rouge. The Chiefs have obstructed his route, however, or perhaps more appropriately, they have potentially resuscitated his NFL dream.

“{Pyburn} has informed LSU that he is withdrawing his claim in the NCAA’s ‘5-for-5’ eligibility litigation and will remain in the NFL rather than return to LSU, per his agents Christian Addison and Harold Lewis,” Schefter reported on X.

The 22-year-old joins a Kansas City team that is hoping to maintain a strong defensive identity after losing cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and linebacker Leo Chenal in the offseason. Jack Pyburn did his best to stand out while on the Buccaneers. He recorded two sacks in two different preseason games, showcasing the type of pass-rushing prowess that aggressive defensive play-caller Steve Spagnuolo loves.

While the Chiefs get to know their new addition, LSU will adjust its plans and focus on the former NFL players already in its grasp (at least for now).