The Kansas City Chiefs added to their secondary depth on March 21, as ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the following signing on Friday evening.
“Free-agent CB Robert Rochell, who spent last season with the [Green Bay] Packers, reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Chiefs, per @UniSportsMgmt CEO Kevin Conner,” Schefter relayed on X.
Rochell was also a member of the Los Angeles Rams for two seasons from 2021 (his draft year) through 2022, winning a Super Bowl with LAR.
He was originally a fourth-round selection of Los Angeles, starting 5 games for the Rams as a rookie and appearing in 28 outings over his two-year tenure. Rochell contributed 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery and 4 pass defenses before LAR moved on.
With the Packers, Rochell only really appeared on special teams outside of one defensive snap. He suited up for 23 games with Green Bay as a special teamer (including playoffs), earning a solid 70.1 grade on Pro Football Focus in 2023 and then a poor 43.9 mark in 2024.
Rochell will compete for a spot on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster throughout organized team activities (OTAs), minicamp and training camp — if he makes it that far. According to PFF, he typically guarded the perimeter as a true cornerback when playing defense, although he did spend 18 snaps aligned inside the “box” with just 2 snaps as a slot CB.
Chiefs CB Signing Robert Rochell Will Likely Battle Fellow Ex-NFL Draft Picks Darius Rush & Eric Scott Jr. for Depth/ST Role
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has a type, and it’s ex-NFL draft picks that flamed out with other organizations. Rochell is just the latest on a long list, and that list already included two current Kansas City cornerbacks before this March 21 addition.
On the KC 90-man roster already are Darius Rush (a former fifth-round pick) and Eric Scott Jr. (a former sixth-round pick). Each were initially claimed off waivers by the Chiefs, although they ended up losing Rush for a bit before reuniting with him later on.
This summer, it would make sense if Rochell, Rush and Scott competed for one depth/special teams role — assuming there is one to be had.
You never know what injuries will occur later on, but as of now, Kansas City has five cornerbacks that should be locks to make the roster. Those players are Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, newcomer Kristian Fulton, Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson.
Johnson’s spot would be the most up-for-grabs, of the five.
The Chiefs also have safety/nickel hybrids Chamarri Conner and Christian Roland-Wallace, so they’re well-stocked in the secondary already. That doesn’t mean Rochell or one of the other reserves cannot impress enough to steal a job, but they’ll certainly be hard-pressed to do so.
Chiefs Could Still Draft New Cornerback Too
What would make things even more difficult for Rochell, Rush and Scott, is if the Chiefs draft a new cornerback in April.
Veach has some work to do at the position looking ahead to 2026. McDuffie and Watson need new deals, and then the KC GM would have to decide what he wants to do with Williams and Johnson — who are in a similar boat.
With money already committed to Fulton, it’s unlikely the Chiefs are able to keep all four of the CBs from the strong 2022 draft class.
With that in mind, getting ahead of a potential departure or two with a new draft pick might be smart, especially since 2024 selection Kamal Hadden was a total miss.
