Report: Chiefs to sign minicamp tryout WR Darrius Shepherd
The Kansas City Chiefs have continued their tradition of adding players to the roster following tryouts at mandatory minicamp.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, the Chiefs plan to sign receiver and return specialist Darrius Shepherd to the 90-man offseason roster. Shepherd was among the four players that Kansas City brought in for tryouts during their three-day mandatory minicamp which wrapped today.
Shepherd clearly did enough during those three days of practice and meetings to make an impression on the coaching staff in Kansas City. Now he has earned an opportunity with training camp on the horizon, where he can make an even greater impression.
The Chiefs are signing receiver Darrius Shepherd, per sources.
Shepherd was a tryout participant during the Chiefs' minicamp & he'll have the chance to continue to impress the team in training camp.
The former Blue Springs star spent the past 2 seasons with the Packers.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) June 17, 2021
Shepherd is a Kansas City native and played high school football in Blue Springs, so playing for the Chiefs will be a bit of a homecoming for him. He played college football for the NDSU bison, where he became a three-time FCS national champion in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Shepherd went undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft, joining the Green Bay Packers as a free agent. He spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons as a receiver and return specialist with Green Bay, but wasn’t particularly productive. His best work came in the return game where he recorded 20 returns for over 347 yards during those two seasons.
The Chiefs have a need for consistency and depth in the return game, so it’s possible that’s a role that they envision for Shepherd. The team is currently at 90 players, so expect a corresponding move in order to make room for Shepherd.
