Chiefs elevate WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette practice squad for Week 14

The Kansas City Chiefs have made a single practice squad elevation ahead of their Week 14 away game against the Denver Broncos.

After officially ruling out WR Kadarius Toney, the Chiefs elevated WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the practice squad via standard elevation. This is the only elevation for the team this week, meaning Melvin Gordon won’t be elevated to face his former team in Week 14.

This is the first standard elevation for Smith-Marsette since joining the practice squad in Kansas City in late October. One reason that the Chiefs have opted for Smith-Marsette is that WRs Marcus Kemp and Cornell Powell have both exhausted their limit of three standard elevations. Those limits go away once the postseason arrives, but only Smith-Marsette, Bryan Edwards and Jerrion Ealy have elevations available for the rest of the regular season.

We have activated WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the practice squad via standard elevation. pic.twitter.com/pplF1zUNq7

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 10, 2022

An intriguing part of the Chiefs’ elevation of Smith-Marsette centers around special teams. He’ll surely be involved in the team’s coverage units, but will he be trusted as a return specialist? As an Iowa Hawkeye, Smith-Marsette was a very talented kick returner. He returned 53 kicks in college for over 1,500 yards and two touchdowns. He hasn’t done it much in the NFL, with just five kicks returned for 100 yards across time spent with two teams.