A chaotic 24 hours for C.J. Spiller ended exactly where it started.
On Sunday, one day after the Chiefs cut him, Spiller signed a contract with the Chiefs, according to the Kansas City Star's Terez A. Paylor. Spiller rounds out a running back group that also includes rookie Kareem Hunt (the starter) and Charcandrick West.
At the time, when the Chiefs cut Spiller, the move came as a surprise given Hunt and West were the only two running backs on the roster after they lost Spencer Ware to a knee injury. But Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said on Saturday that he could always decide to bring back Spiller, which is what he did.
Paylor explained below why they might've released him in the first place:
The Chiefs place Steve Nelson on IR with a designation to return, creating a spot for Spiller.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) September 3, 2017
The Nelson move also explains why Spiller was cut. Nelson had to be on the 53 to be placed on IR/w designation to return
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) September 3, 2017
In Spiller, the Chiefs are getting a former first-round pick of the Bills who has seen his career nosedive in recent years. After Spiller's Pro Bowl season in 2012, when he totaled 1,703 yards and eight touchdowns from scrimmage, he's averaged 490.5 yards from scrimmage per season. Last year, with both the Jets and Seahawks, he appeared in six games and accumulated 68 yards and a touchdown. So no, the Chiefs aren't getting a game-changer.
But Spiller has flashed some promise this preseason, rushing for 46 yards on 11 carries and catching three passes for 21 yards. He won't be asked to carry the load, as those duties will fall to Hunt, but he could be a sneaky pass-catching option coming out of the backfield.
