Former Ohio State safety Tanner McCalister was released by the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday, via the NFL transaction wire.
It represented yet another turn in a journeyman NFL career that began after a productive one-year stop in Columbus.
McCalister, a 5-foot-11, 191-pound defensive back from Rockwall, Texas, transferred to Ohio State from Oklahoma State ahead of the 2022 season to play for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
He started 12 games for the Buckeyes, recorded 24 tackles, and led the team with three interceptions — including a pair in a win over Iowa and another against Wisconsin.
Those plays helped a defense that supported an 11-2 regular season and a trip to the Peach Bowl. He also earned a finance degree and brought scheme familiarity from his time under Knowles at Oklahoma State.
Undrafted in 2023, McCalister signed with the Cleveland Browns and appeared in three games as a rookie, mostly on special teams.
He later spent time with the Denver Broncos (three more games in 2024), New York Jets, and the Chiefs on multiple practice-squad stints. Kansas City signed him to a reserve/futures deal in February 2026 after he had been on the squad late in the 2025 season.
He was waived during final cuts at the end of August and immediately re-signed to the practice squad. The Tuesday release ends that latest chapter.
For Buckeye fans, McCalister represents the familiar path of the late-arriving transfer who produces in a single season and then fights for every NFL opportunity.
Ohio State’s secondary has sent a steady stream of players to the league; McCalister never became a household name like some of his teammates, but he delivered timely ball production when the Buckeyes needed it.
His college tape showed a physical tackler who could play both safety and nickel and who understood complex coverages.
The NFL has been less generous. Across six regular-season appearances he has three career tackles and no interceptions. Practice-squad life — elevations, cuts, and re-signings — has defined his professional years. Releases like this one are routine at this stage of the season as teams adjust after Week 1. Kansas City opened with a 31-10 win over Denver and continues to tinker with depth.
McCalister, now 26, remains a free agent who can be claimed or signed to another practice squad. Players with his profile often bounce between teams until an injury or scheme fit opens a door.
Buckeye Nation has seen this movie before: the former starter who keeps showing up, keeps grinding, and waits for the next call. Whether that call comes again in 2026 will depend on the same traits that made him useful in Columbus — reliability, versatility, and a willingness to play wherever he’s asked.
For now, another former Buckeye is looking for work. Ohio State’s pipeline to the NFL keeps moving, even when individual careers take the long, uncertain route.
