The Chiefs’ defense enjoyed a shutout performance on Sunday, but the unit lost a key figure along the way. Omarr Norman-Lott exited the game and he will miss the remainder of his rookie campaign. 
Norman-Lott suffered an ACL tear, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That will bring an end to the second-rounder’s debut NFL season. It will also leave Kansas City short on options along the defensive line aside from Chris Jones.
During his five games in the regular season, Norman-Lott logged one start and handled a snap share of 27%. As ESPN’s Nate Taylor notes, the Chiefs planned on increasing his workload over the coming weeks. Now, that will of course not be an option. It will be interesting to see how Kansas City proceeds over the coming weeks with a greater need for depth up front.
The team has been linked to running back interest on the trade front, but the most recent report on the matter indicated defensive line help was the top priority. In the wake of Norman-Lott going down for the rest of the year, that could certainly be the case to an even greater extent moving forward. The Chiefs have 15 days before the deadline to make any trade acquisitions, and finding at least a rental capable of filling in on the D-line would come as little surprise.
After three seasons at Arizona State, Norman-Lott transferred to Tennessee. During his two campaigns as a Volunteer, he totaled 9.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. That production made the 23-year-old one of the top options in a stacked defensive tackle class during April’s draft. Having been selected early in the event, Norman-Lott was set to handle a notable part-time role as the Chiefs looked to replace Tershawn Wharton following his free agent departure. That effort will now be on hold until 2026.