In a move that has Kansas City fans scratching their heads and muttering about front-office ruthlessness, the Chiefs pulled off a post-trade deadline gut punch on Tuesday evening. Just hours after the 2025 NFL trade deadline slammed shut, the team axed rookie wide receiver Jimmy Holiday from the practice squad—a promising draft pick who dazzled in training camp—only to slide veteran defensive lineman Malik Herring right back into the fold. It’s the kind of cold-blooded roster calculus that screams “business first, fan feelings last,” and it’s left Arrowhead faithful reeling.
KSHB 41 beat reporter Nick Jacobs broke the news on X late on November 4, dropping a double-whammy update that felt more like a plot twist from a gritty football drama than routine housekeeping: “The Chiefs have signed DL Malik Herring to the practice squad. They terminated the practice squad contract of WR Jimmy Holiday.”
Holiday, the 6-foot-1 speedster out of Louisiana Tech (via stints at Western Kentucky and Tennessee), wasn’t just any camp body. Selected in the later rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, he burst onto the scene this summer as one of those “training camp darlings” who make coaches dream of hidden gems. His preseason flash was undeniable: snagging 3 of 4 targets for 60 yards, including a jaw-dropping 50-yard bomb and 12 yards after the catch on pure grit. Oh, and don’t sleep on his return game—two kick returns averaging 28 yards apiece, hinting at special teams upside that could have lit up the league.
Flash back to college, and Holiday’s tape tells a story of untapped potential. After transferring twice, he exploded in his senior year at Louisiana Tech in 2024, hauling in 39 catches on 65 targets for 476 yards—a campaign that screamed “polished route-runner with big-play juice.” He even moonlighted as a kick returner for Tennessee in 2021 and 2022, averaging returns that turned heads at SEC practices. For a Chiefs team perpetually hunting for explosive weapons to feed Patrick Mahomes, Holiday felt like a low-risk lottery ticket. He stuck around on the practice squad for months, a clear sign the brass saw something special enough to stash him away from prying eyes.
So why the sudden heave-ho? Timing is everything in the NFL’s brutal churn, and with the trade deadline in the rearview, Kansas City’s depth chart got a post-mortem shuffle. Holiday’s release clears space for… well, more of the same on defense. Enter Malik Herring, the 27-year-old Georgia alum who’s basically the Chiefs’ equivalent of a comfy old recliner—familiar, reliable, and impossible to get rid of.
Herring’s return was about as shocking as a rainy day in Seattle. Waived earlier this season to accommodate the re-signing of veteran nose tackle Mike Pennel, the lanky defensive end was always destined for a boomerang trip back to KC. In the hyper-specialized world of NFL roster gymnastics, Herring’s been flipping between the 53-man roster and practice squad like a pro yo-yo trickster. Since inking his first deal in 2022, he’s suited up exclusively for the Chiefs, logging 28 regular-season games and four playoff appearances. Stats? Modest at best: 1.5 sacks, six QB hits, three tackles for loss, plus a forced fumble, recovery, and a pass deflection. Not All-Pro fireworks, but in Steve Spagnuolo’s labyrinthine defense, Herring’s value lies in the intangibles—he knows the scheme inside out, elevates practices, and provides that rotational depth without the drama.
Call him the coach’s pet, and you’d be spot on. Spagnuolo and the defensive staff adore Herring’s blue-collar ethos; he’s the guy who shows up early, stays late, and doesn’t complain about bubbling down to the practice squad. In a league where loyalty is fleeting, Herring’s Chiefs tenure feels like a rare constants amid the chaos. But swapping a fresh-faced draft pick like Holiday for this retread? It reeks of short-term security over long-term vision, especially with Kansas City’s receiving corps already thinner than a supermodel’s patience during a losing streak.
And it’s not just Holiday waving goodbye to the heartland. In a cruel twist of ex-Chiefs karma, another undrafted rookie from the 2025 summer hopefuls, wideout Mac Dalena, inked a practice squad deal with the Seattle Seahawks on the same night. KPRC 2 insider Aaron Wilson flagged it on X, with the league’s transaction wire confirming the move. Dalena, much like Holiday, flashed in camp but faded fast—never quite threatening the 53-man cut. Now he’s off to the Pacific Northwest, potentially setting up a Week 10 revenge arc when the Chiefs trek to Lumen Field.
As Kansas City kicks off Week 10 against a TBD opponent, this “shocking switch” hangs heavy. Holiday’s got the tools to hook on elsewhere—his speed and YAC savvy could thrive in a returner-hungry backfield—and a Chiefs reunion isn’t impossible if injuries bite. But for now, the front office’s ice-veined call prioritizes Herring’s steady hand over Holiday’s high-ceiling spark. Is it pragmatic depth management or a missed opportunity to build for the dynasty’s next chapter? Chiefs Kingdom, you decide. One thing’s clear: in Andy Reid’s empire, sentimentality is for the weak—and the trade deadline just proved it.