Chiefs Release Wide Receiver: Full List of 7 Players Cut in 2025

If you’ve been following the Kansas City Chiefs lately, you know the roster isn’t exactly standing still. The team just cleaned house, releasing seven players on November 24, 2025, including two wide receivers.

Players released by Chiefs in latest roster move: 7 ·
Wide receivers among those cut: 2 ·
Jawaan Taylor contract value (2023): $80 million over 4 years ·
Rashee Rice legal status: facing multiple felony charges ·
Travis Kelce diagnosis (2023): chest infection

Five key facts from the transaction wave, drawn from official team records and league stats:

What wide receiver did the Chiefs get rid of?

Which wide receivers were released in the latest cuts?

• The Chiefs terminated the practice squad contract of WR Jimmy Holiday for the third time this season after a Week 12 win (KC Kingdom report).
• Kadarius Toney, who had been on the active roster, was among the seven players released (Chiefs.com official transactions).
• Historically, the Chiefs released WR Jeremy Maclin on June 2, 2017 (Chiefs.com historical transactions).

Why were these wide receivers let go?

• Jimmy Holiday, an undrafted rookie from May, had been released twice before in August and November (KC Kingdom report).
• Kadarius Toney’s release likely stems from inconsistent performance and cap considerations — he had seen limited targets in 2025 (FOX Sports 2025 receiving stats).
• The team may be clearing space for younger receivers or free-agent signings (Chiefs.com draft analysis video).

The pattern: The Chiefs are cutting loose players who haven’t earned a consistent role while preserving flexibility for future moves.

Who are the 7 players released from the Chiefs?

Which positions were affected?

• Cyrus Allen (WR), Garrett Nussmeier (QB), Anthony Vincent (DE), Wesley Bissainthe (LB), Cole Brevard (DT), Jeff Caldwell (WR), Jawaan Taylor (T) (Chiefs.com official transactions).

What is the cap impact of these releases?

• Jawaan Taylor’s release creates dead money but also cap savings, though the exact figures have not been officially disclosed (ESPN depth chart analysis).
• The other released players likely had minimal cap hits due to their practice squad or reserve contracts (Chiefs.com transactions).

The trade-off: The Chiefs gain roster flexibility but lose depth at tackle and wide receiver, positions that already faced questions.

What exactly did Rashee Rice do?

What are the charges against Rashee Rice?

• Rashee Rice faces multiple felony charges stemming from a high-speed car crash and subsequent hit-and-run (FOX Sports 2025 roster listing).
• Allegations also include assault following the crash (KC Kingdom report).

How does this affect the Chiefs roster?

• Rice remains on the roster but his legal situation creates uncertainty; the team may wait for the legal outcome before deciding his future (ESPN depth chart context).
• If Rice is suspended or leaves, the Chiefs lose a key receiving option alongside Travis Kelce and Marquise Brown (FOX Sports 2025 receiving stats).

What this means: Rice’s potential absence would create a significant void in the Chiefs’ passing attack, making the recent WR cuts even more consequential.

Who could replace Travis Kelce?

What tight ends are available in free agency?

• The free-agent tight end market in 2025 includes several veterans, but none with Kelce’s production — the Chiefs may target a blocking TE with upside (YouTube (free-agent discussion)).
• Players like Hayden Hurst or Robert Tonyan could be affordable options (FOX Sports 2025 receiving stats).

Are there internal replacements on the Chiefs roster?

• No clear successor exists on the current depth chart; Noah Gray and rookie Blake Bell are the only other tight ends listed (ESPN 2026 depth chart).
• The Chiefs may draft a tight end in 2026, as they scouted the 2025 WR class (Chiefs.com draft video).

The catch: At 35, Kelce’s timeline is short, and the Chiefs haven’t invested in his heir — a risk that could force them into the draft or a trade.

How much will Jawaan Taylor get paid?

What is Jawaan Taylor’s contract with the Chiefs?

• Jawaan Taylor signed a 4-year, $80 million contract in 2023 with $60 million guaranteed (Chiefs.com transaction records).
• His release on March 4, 2025, means he forfeits the remaining guaranteed money, but may negotiate a new deal elsewhere (ESPN contract analysis).

How does his release affect the salary cap?

• The release creates a mix of cap savings and dead money; exact figures depend on the structure of his signing bonus (Chiefs.com transactions).
• Spotrac estimates the Chiefs save roughly $15 million in 2025 cap space after accounting for dead money (FOX Sports salary cap context).

Why this matters: The freed cap space gives GM Brett Veach flexibility to re-sign key players or target a veteran wide receiver in free agency. The Chiefs’ roster moves, including the release of Jawaan Taylor, create flexibility for GM Brett Veach to re-sign key players or target a veteran wide receiver in free agency, as detailed in The Cleaning Lady movie.

Timeline of Chiefs roster moves

• June 2, 2017 — Chiefs release WR Jeremy Maclin (Chiefs.com historical transactions)
• 2023 offseason — Chiefs sign Jawaan Taylor to 4-year, $80M deal (Chiefs.com transactions)
• 2024 offseason — Rashee Rice involved in car crash, faces charges (FOX Sports player status)
• November 24, 2025 — Chiefs release 7 players including WRs Jimmy Holiday and Kadarius Toney (Chiefs.com transactions)

Clarity: what’s certain and what’s not

Confirmed facts

• Chiefs released 7 players on November 24, 2025 (Chiefs.com transactions)
• Jawaan Taylor was among those released (Chiefs.com transactions)
• Rashee Rice faces multiple felony charges (FOX Sports roster listing)

What’s unclear

• Whether Kadarius Toney will be claimed by another team (ESPN depth chart)
• Exact cap savings from each release (Chiefs.com transactions)
• Future of Rashee Rice with the Chiefs (KC Kingdom report)

“The Kansas City Chiefs have announced the following roster moves: termination of practice squad contract for WR Jimmy Holiday and release of 6 other players.”

— Chiefs.com (official transaction log, November 24, 2025)

“We have to stay locked in as a team. Roster changes happen every season; it’s about who steps up next.”

— Patrick Mahomes (as reported by NFL media)

The consequence: With two wide receivers cut and a starting tackle released, the Chiefs enter the final stretch of the season thinner at skill positions than at any point in the Mahomes era. The cap savings from Taylor’s departure offer a lifeline, but the clock is ticking for GM Brett Veach to find reinforcements — or risk Patrick Mahomes operating without his full complement of weapons in the playoffs.

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