Felix Anudike-Uzomah, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick in 2023, has been placed on the injured reserve list.
It will cost the promising defensive end the entire 2025 season.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid made the announcement on Monday. Anudike-Uzomah, 23, suffered a right-hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s preseason game at the Seattle Seahawks.
Because Anudike-Uzomah went on IR before the final roster cutdown date of Aug. 26, it becomes a season-ending injury.
That’s a tough blow for the former Lee’s Summit High and Kansas State star who was twice voted Big 12 defensive lineman of the year.
As a rookie, Anudike-Uzomah recorded 14 tackles, had a fumble recovery and was credited with 1/2 sack. His biggest moment came in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers, when he tackled running back Christian McCaffrey for a 4-yard loss.
Last season, Anudike-Uzomah was credited with 2 1/2 sacks and 27 tackles. He’s played in all 34 regular-season games for the Chiefs and got his first three NFL starts last season.
At training camp, Anudike-Uzomah was running with the second- and third-team defensive ends and figured to be part of the playing rotation.
“It’s disappointing for him, I know, because he works so hard,” Reid said.
In other moves, the Chiefs waived running back Elijah Young, a rookie free agent from Western Kentucky, and signed linebacker Xander Mueller and defensive end Owen Carney.
Mueller, a rookie, played the previous four seasons at Northwestern. Carney spent time with the Chiefs in training camp last season.