Fabien Lovett’s injury scare highlights real shot to crack Chiefs roster

Defensive line depth, especially along the interior, has been an ongoing concern for the Kansas City Chiefs in recent years. That opens up a nice door for second-year defensive tackle Fabien Lovett.

As the Chiefs got to work for another day of practice in training camp, however, Lovett required attention from the Chiefs' training staff on a leg injury. Fortunately, Lovett was able to return to practice, with head coach Andy Reid explaining later in press comments that the DL had tweaked his ankle.

Fabian Lovett's quick injury scare highlights his very real shot at making this Chiefs roster.

This offseason, the Chiefs watched Turk Wharton and Derrick Nnadi depart in free agency. Both were longtime tackles who had bolstered the position next to Chris Jones for several seasons. Wharton struck it rich after signing a three-year contract worth up to $54 million with the Carolina Panthers. Nnadi found a way to extend his NFL career to eight seasons after earning a one-year deal with the New York Jets.

While the Chiefs added Jerry Tillery to a one-year deal in free agency, drafted Omarr Norman-Lott, and re-signed veteran Mike Pennel, there is still potential room for one more young player to make the team. The Chiefs weren't exactly operating from a position of strength along the interior in the first place.

That's what makes Lovett's injury something worth noting. He joined the Chiefs last season as an undrafted free agent from Florida State in 2024, and beat the odds by sticking with the team for a full calendar year—via a spot on the practice squad through the regular season and a futures deal to start the 2025 offseason.

Marlon Tuipulotu and undrafted rookie Coziah Izzard are the ones who stand to gain the most if Lovett's ankle causes him to miss further reps. However, the Chiefs thought well enough of Lovett to bring him back to compete this year, and it's possible that a strong performance in preseason games could lead to an active roster spot—as long as he can stay healthy.