Chiefs’ UDFA Cooper McDonald makes the 53-man roster, why GM Brett Veach loves him

What Brett Veach said about Cooper McDonald earlier in the offseason

Cooper McDonald came into the Kansas City Chiefs rookie minicamp as a late find, but has done everything he possibly could to make his mark.

The promising defender spent the 2024 season at TCU, after previously playing for both the Washington Huskies and the San Diego State Aztecs.

He only started in five games at TCU, recording four sacks and three QB hits in a rotational role.

Despite his production being limited without a regular starting role, the Chiefs brought McDonald to camp to give him an opportunity to fight for a spot on the practice squad.

In an impressive turn of events, he’s ended up earning his spot and making the team, having outplayed the likes of Jack Cochrane in the preseason.

Steve Spagnuolo said earlier in training camp that he was impressed:

“I think Coop was a really good find. We found him in the rookie minicamp. I thought he did a really good job in the linebacker 1-on-1s…”

The rookie tryout had impressed the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator during tackling drills against the running backs, which led to more playing time during the preseason.

McDonald played 14 snaps in the first preseason game, but more than doubled that number in the two that followed. He had a sack in the preseason finale against the Chicago Bears and notched 11 tackles on defense in the three preseason games.

The former TCU talent also played on special teams, totaling 22 snaps on returns and a blocked kick against Chicago. He’s going to be a versatile piece on the Chiefs’ final roster, as somebody they can call on both on defense and special teams this season.

Fans have been very impressed with the young talent, and they were hoping to see him make the team.

GM Brett Veach has been really pleased with the rookie, as mentioned by sideline reporter Kimmi Chex, who said:

“Yeah, guys, No. 59, the linebacker Cooper McDonald. He was one of those guys that actually was undrafted. He came into rookie minicamp. He’s one of the over 50 tryout players alone. He caught the eyes of the coach. He was signed to the (90-man) offseason roster.

This is a name to pay attention to ahead of the 53-man roster cutdown on Tuesday. General Manager Brett Veach said, ‘He’s made incredible plays.’ We saw some of these stops and sacks in this preseason game, a name that Chiefs Kingdom should get very familiar with.”

The Chiefs are approaching final roster cuts with today’s deadline just hours away

While Cooper McDonald has made the final 53-man roster, there are others who haven’t made the cut.

One of those is veteran safety Mike Edwards, who was released today during the cutdown.

They also released quarterback Bailey Zappe, favoring Chris Oladokun as the third QB on the roster behind Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew.