The Chiefs on Wednesday made a move to add some competition on special teams.
The Super Bowl-champion Chiefs are signing punter Tyler Newsome to a one-year deal, a source confirmed with The Star. Financial details were not disclosed.
Newsome makes sense considering current starting punter Dustin Colquitt is entering the final year of a contract that pays a base salary of $1.9 million in 2020. Colquitt will also celebrate his 38th birthday May 6.
The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Newsome entered the league in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame with the Los Angeles Chargers but was released before the start of the regular season. He finished his college career averaging 44 yards per punt.
This marks the second straight offseason the Chiefs have brought in a punter during the offseason to challenge Colquitt, who is the longest-tenured current Chiefs player. Last year, the Chiefs signed Jack Fox, who also spent a brief period on the practice squad in late October during the regular season.
Newsome faces a stiff challenge to make the roster in Kansas City, and that rough road goes straight through Colquitt, a 15-year veteran.
NFL Draft Diamonds, a website focused on NFL Draft prospects, first reported the news of Newsome’s signing.
In other position-related news, the Chiefs agreed to terms on a one-year deal with running back DeAndre Washington, Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports reported.
Washington, a former teammate of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ at Texas Tech, entered the league as a fifth-round pick with the Raiders. Mostly a backup, Washington has appeared in 55 career games with five starts, totaling 1,735 yards from scrimmage (1,122 rushing) and eight touchdowns over the past four seasons.
He joins a backfield led by Damien Williams and will compete for a roster spot against Darrel Williams, Darwin Thompson, Elijah McGuire, Mike Weber and Marcus Marshall.
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