On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs welcomed back a familiar face. Shutdown cornerback, Keith Reaser, signed with the club shortly after his past team was no more.
Just a day after the Alliance of American Football (AAF) announced that they were suspending operations, the Chiefs scooped up (former) Orlando Apollos cornerback, Keith Reaser.
The Chiefs are one of the first NFL teams to sign an AAF football player following the league’s announcement on Thursday that all players were eligible to sign with the NFL.
Shortly after news of the AAF’s folding, Reaser, the best cornerback of their single, doomed season, tweeted, “So where to next.”
He found out pretty quick. Not long after Reaser’s tweet, the Chiefs announced that he was once again a Chief. The deal includes $100,000 upfront, between a $50,000 signing bonus, a $25,000 workout bonus, and a $25,000 roster bonus.
The AAF’s top-rated cornerback with a rating of 92.7, Reiser proved himself a standout defensive back for the league-best Apollos. He racked up 12 tackles, 10 passes defended, and 3 interceptions.
Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round at 170th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, the cornerback started 29 games for the 49ers. The team released him in 2017. In September of that same year, he was added to the Chief’s practice squad and graduated to the active roster in December.
In September of 2018, the Chiefs waived Reaser with an injury designation. Unclaimed on waivers, he was placed on the Chiefs’ injury reserve. Later that month, the Chiefs released him. Reaser joined the Apollos earlier this year.
The AAF’s demise is the Chiefs’ gain. Ranked in the basement at 31st in defense this past season, the Chiefs need all the help they can get. Although they made some aggressive moves to revamp their defense via free agency this year, the signing of the standout ex-Apollo shows that they mean business. Reaser adds much-needed depth to the team’s defensive unit.
