The Kansas City Chiefs have officially run out of practice squad elevations for linebacker Cole Christiansen, a move that exposes a glaring hole in the roster depth just as the team faces its biggest test of the season. According to a report from Arrowhead Pride via Google News, the team announced on Saturday that Christiansen has been elevated for Sunday’s road game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he will revert to the practice squad immediately after the final whistle. This marks his third straight elevation since Week 1, a pattern that signals the team is scraping the bottom of the barrel for bodies to fill the gaps left by injured starters.
The Math on a Thinning Roster
Christiansen has played over half of the team’s special teams snaps for the last two weeks. The Army product is now stuck in a limbo where the team cannot elevate him again for the rest of the regular season, leaving them with fewer options when injuries pile up. The math simply does not add up for a team that was supposed to be a dynasty; they are relying on a player who has never played defense to keep the special teams unit afloat while the defense faces a high-powered Raiders offense.
A Run Game That Must Carry the Load
The stakes for Sunday are incredibly high, as first place in the AFC West hangs in the balance between two teams with perfect 3-0 records. According to Yahoo Sports, the new acquisition Kenneth Walker III has helped the Chiefs run for more than 153 yards per game this season, forcing the team to depend heavily on its rushing attack. Kansas City has an obvious route to manage time and maintain offensive freshness because the Raiders rank 20th in NFL run defense by surrendering 116.3 yards per game. However, the defensive line is in trouble, having not recorded a single sack since Week 1, a stat that cannot hold up against a quarterback like Kirk Cousins who has thrown nine touchdowns in three games. Steve Spagnuolo needs to find a way to disrupt Cousins and keep tight end Brock Bowers in check, or the offense will be forced to play catch-up in a game they cannot afford to lose.
When the Depth Chart Fails
While past dominance suggests a Chiefs victory given Patrick Mahomes’ 13-2 career record against the Raiders, trusting former success is risky with such a depleted current roster. The team previously brought up defensive tackle Marcus Harris for the first two weeks and elevated defensive end Tyreke Smith for Week 3, only to have him declared inactive, a cycle of elevations that is clearly unsustainable. The lack of depth is not a secret; it is a reality that every fan watching the game will see when the third-string linebackers are forced onto the field. The Chiefs are hoping to prove their early start is for real, but this Week 4 elevation of Christiansen is a stark reminder that the margin for error is non-existent. If the Raiders can exploit the run defense or force the Chiefs into a shootout, the lack of proven depth could be the difference between a 4-0 start and a season-altering loss.
