The Kansas City Chiefs added another option to their wide receiver room on Thursday by signing Bub Means to the practice squad, days before next Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
The move, recorded on the NFL transaction wire, gives the team a young pass catcher who has already logged meaningful snaps at the professional level.
Means, who is 25, took a winding path to the league. He began his college career at Tennessee, transferred to Louisiana Tech, and finished at Pittsburgh.
The New Orleans Saints selected him with the 170th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
He entered the third season of a four-year rookie contract worth just over $4 million, including a signing bonus of roughly $254,000, before being released shortly after the final roster cutdowns. He later spent time on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad.
During his rookie season with the Saints, Means appeared in seven games. He caught nine passes on 15 targets for 118 yards and a touchdown, showing enough ability to stick on a roster and contribute in spots.
Those numbers are modest, yet they reflect a player who has already faced regular-season defenses and produced when given opportunities.
Kansas City’s practice squad now features a mix of developmental prospects and experienced veterans.
Among the wide receivers already on the unit are Omari Evans, Justin Watson, and Jacob De Jesus, so Means joins a group that can provide depth and competition in practice.
Other players on the squad include linebackers Cole Christiansen, Michael Heldman, and Aiden Fisher; defensive ends Emmanuel Ogbah and Tyreke Smith; defensive backs D’Arco Perkins-McAllister and DeShon Singleton; fullback Ben VanSumeren; offensive tackle Ethan Driskell; defensive tackle Marcus Harris; center Pete Nygra; and kicker Justin Tucker.
For the Chiefs, practice-squad additions like this are often about maintaining flexibility.
Injuries or performance fluctuations at the skill positions can create sudden openings, and a player with Means’ draft pedigree and limited but real NFL production offers a ready option if the coaching staff wants to elevate him.
At the same time, the move keeps him within the organization without committing a 53-man roster spot.
Means will now work to impress Kansas City’s staff in practice and potentially position himself for a call-up later in the season.
For a receiver still early in his career, a stint with a contending team’s practice squad can be a valuable chance to refine his game and stay ready.
