Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said (via ESPN’s Nate Taylor) that veteran safety Deon Bush suffered a torn Achilles in a preseason loss to the Cardinals on Saturday night.
Bush was entering his fourth year in Kansas City and competing for a backend roster spot as a depth safety and core special teams contributor. He filled that role during the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl runs in 2022 and 2023, but only appeared in two games in 2024, both in the regular season.
Bush’s injury will also take him out of the 53-man roster competition with the Chiefs’ other depth safeties. Kansas City is returning 17-game starter Bryan Cook as well as nickel/safety hybrid Chamarri Conner with second-year Jaden Hicks and veteran Mike Edwards leading the reserves.
Given how often Conner drops into the slot, keeping Bush on the roster may have been appealing, especially given his NFL special teams experience that undrafted rookies Glendon Miller, Major Williams, and Jacobe Covington can’t match. Now, that trio might have a better chance of sticking around, though Kansas City could opt to carry an extra cornerback instead.
Bush, originally a Bears fourth-round pick in 2016, spent six years in Chicago with six starts on defense and a consistent role on special teams. The nine-year veteran will now spend the season on the sidelines as he rehabs from his injury and prepares for what would be his age-33 season in 2026.