Texas A&M running back E.J. Smith participated in Dallas Day, the Cowboys’ annual workout day for local prospects. That gave Cowboys fans hope that Smith might sign with the hometown team and follow in the footsteps of his father.
But as he did in choosing his college, E.J. Smith is his own man.
After going undrafted, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, is signing with the Chiefs.
E.J. Smith announced his decision on Instagram.
“Excited to officially sign with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent,” Smith wrote. “Nothing is given. Everything is earned. I’m ready to work, learn, and prove myself every single day. Thank you to my family, coaches, teammates, and everyone who believed in me and pushed me to this moment. The journey hasn’t been easy, but every challenge prepared me for this next step. Grateful is an understatement. All glory to God for this opportunity. Let’s get it Chiefs Kingdom.”
Smith spent four seasons at Stanford and two at Texas A&M.
He had only 44 carries for 205 yards and four touchdowns and four catches for 18 yards in 2025, but had two memorable plays for the Aggies. Smith picked up a first down on fourth-and-1 at his own 34-yard line with 10 minutes left in a close game with Arkansas, getting to the stick despite tight end Micah Riley running into him in the backfield. In a game against UTSA, Smith made three blocks on K.C. Concepcion’s 80-yard punt return.
He finished his career with 207 carries for 969 yards and nine touchdowns and added 470 receiving yards and a touchdown.
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Free-agent defensive lineman Mike Pennel Jr. is a “person of interest” in connection with the death of a woman in the Dominican Republic, according to ESPN.
The woman, who was 22 at the time, was reported missing in 2021. Her body was found on property owned by Pennel in the Dominican Republic.
Pennel’s lawyer said Pennel didn’t know the woman and he wasn’t in the country when she disappeared. Pennel sent a text message to ESPN: “This isn’t a story. I’m not legally involved. This is fake news being reported. I’d advise you to speak with my agent/lawyer . . . before writing a false story. Damaging my reputation.”
Pennel had sold the property in 2025. A worker found the body while digging a trench in January.
Undrafted in 2014, Pennel has played for the Packers, Jets, Chiefs, Falcons, Bears, and Bengals. In 2025, he appeared in eight games with the Bengals and eight with the Chiefs. In 12 years, he has 154 regular-season appearances and 27 starts. He won a pair of Super Bowls with the Chiefs.
At the time the woman was reported missing, Pennel was between teams. He’d been released by the Bears on August 31; he signed with the Falcons on September 15.
For now, the report is that Pennel is a “person of interest,” not a suspect.
Garrett Nussmeier had to wait a while, way longer than he expected, to hear his name. Nine quarterbacks went before the LSU quarterback did.
The Chiefs finally ended his fall, picking him in the seventh round, making Nussmeier the 249th overall pick.
Nussmeier appeared emotional as he donned the Chiefs baseball cap and celebrated with his family, which included his father, Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
Nussmeier joins Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields, Chris Oladokun and Jake Haener on Kansas City’s roster at the position.
Nussmeier started 23 games in five seasons in Baton Rouge, going 15-8. He completed 64.0 percent of his passes for 7,699 yards with 52 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
The Chiefs went with defensive players with both of their first-round picks and they stayed on that side of the ball in the second round.
Defensive end R Mason Thomas is headed to the Chiefs with the 40th overall pick. Cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods were the selections on Thursday.
Thomas posted 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble return for a touchdown and a safety for Oklahoma last season.
George Karlaftis is the top returning edge rusher for the Chiefs and Thomas should have a path to early playing time if he shows the ability to get to the quarterback against NFL blockers.
The Chiefs anticipate unveiling renderings of their new $3 billion domed stadium later this summer, owner Clark Hunt said Friday.
The stadium will be built across the Kansas-Missouri state line and is scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the 2031 season. The Chiefs’ move came after Kansas lawmakers voted to allow the state to issue more than $2.4 million in bonds to cover about 60 percent of the cost of the stadium, a new training facility and retail and entertainment space.
“We’re making progress,” Hunt said, via the Associated Press. “We have a design competition that’s ongoing between MANICA and Populous, and I would hope in the next several months that we’d be able to make a decision on the lead architect.”
MANICA designed the new Nissan Stadium in Nashville and worked on Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Populous is finishing up at the new Highmark Stadium in Buffalo.
Hunt said the Chiefs will bid to host big events in the enclosed stadium.
“We plan on bidding for Final Fours, College Football Playoff Games, bowl games and, of course, the Super Bowl,” Hunt said. “It will coincide with the construction of several other NFL buildings, so we will have competition, but I will make sure that Kansas City and the Chiefs put their best foot forward in that process.”
Arrowhead Stadium will host six World Cup games this summer. It had to undergo minor renovations so that the 53-year-old facility could fit the size of the field used for one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
The Chiefs surprised some when they traded up to draft cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall on Thursday night.
That was by design, General Manager Brett Veach said in his press conference, as the club wanted to keep its interest in Delane pretty quiet. In reality, the Chiefs knew Delane was the player they wanted weeks ago.
“[I]t’s funny because, three, four weeks ago, when we were going through the ’30’ visits, I bumped Steve [Spagnuolo] and said, ‘We’re going to bring our corner in,’” Veach said. “And he said, ‘Don’t bring him in. Just don’t bring him in. Let’s just Zoom him. Let’s keep it quiet.’
“I thought we did a good job. I think a lot of people thought we might go offensive line there. But this was our guy the whole time. Again, assuming [David] Bailey and [Arvell] Reese were off the board — again, great players. But we had Delane right up there. And it’s hard to find good corners. And I know that we’ve done well over the years of addressing corners late. But when you’re kind of within reach of a top corner, we did that a couple of years ago, I think we traded a 3 and a 4 to get McDuffie. So, traded a 3 and a 5 to get Mansoor Delane, so we’re extremely excited.”
Entering Day 1 of the draft, the Chiefs had the No. 9 overall pick, with Washington at No. 7 and New Orleans at No. 8. Veach said that given the Saints’ losses at cornerback over the last two years, Kansas City figured New Orleans would be its top competition for Delane. So, having engaged with the Browns on what a potential trade down could look like, the team executed a deal with Cleveland, moving up to No. 6 overall for a coveted player at a premium position.
“He’s super fluid. He’s athletic,” Veach said of Delane. “Obviously, he ran that 4.3 [40-yard dash]. But he’s a guy that plays patient, is super aware, has great ball skills. He’s tough, he’ll tackle. We think he can play inside and outside.
“Again, we feel like he was the most complete corner. I’m sure he was the consensus No. 1 corner. And, again, when you’re picking at [No.] 9, and you’re right there ,and you can get the No. 1 corner in the draft, you go get him.”
The Chiefs have selected defensive tackle Peter Woods at No. 29 overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Woods played his college ball at Clemson, where he appeared in 35 games with 24 starts. He was a first-team All-ACC honoree in 2025, recording 30 total tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks, and two passes defensed. He also showed versatility by playing offense, rushing for two touchdowns.
He finished his collegiate career with 14.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles.
This is Kansas City’s second selection of the first round, as the club also traded up to pick cornerback Mansoor Delane out of LSU.
The Chiefs acquired the No. 29 overall pick from the Rams as part of the deal for cornerback Trent McDuffie.
They have now added to their defense with a corner and a D-tackle.
The Chiefs had been trying to move up in round one. And they did.
Moving from No. 9 to No. 6 in a trade with the Browns, the Chiefs have taken LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
The Chiefs also gave up a third-round pick (No. 74) and a fifth-round pick (No. 148) to creep up three spots for Delane.
Kansas City needed a player like Delane. From the trade of Trent McDuffie to free-agent losses, the Chiefs need to retool the defense if they hope to get back to the Super Bowl for what would be the fifth time in Patrick Mahomes’s career.
The Chiefs also have the 29th pick in the draft, thanks to the trade that sent McDuffie to the Rams.
Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor domestic battery charge, the Kansas City Star reports Thursday.
Merritt, dressed in orange jumpsuit, made his court appearance via Zoom.
He requested court-appointed counsel, and a public defender entered the plea on Merritt’s behalf. Johnson County District Judge Wayne Smith set a $2,500 personal recognizance bond with conditions of no alcohol, drugs or firearms, and no contact with the victim of the alleged crime, according to the newspaper.
Merritt bonded out after his hearing.
His next court date is scheduled for June 24.
On Thursday morning, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint accusing Merritt of “unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly” causing bodily harm to a daughter, which constitutes a domestic violence offense.
Merritt, 54, has held his job with the Chiefs since 2019. He has previously held NFL coaching jobs with the Cardinals, Giants and Jets and has spent time as a college assistant coach. The Dolphins made Merritt a seventh-round pick in 1993, and he had a brief NFL playing career before entering coaching.
Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt has been arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery.
The Kansas City Star reports that an Overland Park, Kansas, police officer arrested Merritt at about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday and he was booked into the Johnson County jail at about 10:25 p.m. No bond has been set.
On Thursday morning, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint accusing Merritt of “unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly” causing bodily harm to a daughter, according to the report.
Merritt is due in court today.
The 54-year-old Merritt has been the Chiefs’ defensive backs coach since 2019. He has previously held NFL coaching jobs with the Cardinals, Giants and Jets, and spent time as a college assistant coach. He was a 1993 seventh-round pick of the Dolphins and had a brief NFL playing career before going into coaching.
The Chiefs said they are aware of the arrest and have no comment. Merritt will likely be put on leave and the NFL will begin an investigation into a potential violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
