The Kansas City Chiefs have signed former Oregon receiver Chase Cota to their practice squad, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Cota spent all of training camp with the Detroit Lions after signing as an undrafted free agent. The Lions released Cota with an injury settlement following the preseason. The 6-foot-3, 196-pound wideout impressed in the preseason, catching 9-of-18 targets for 111 yards and a score.
In his lone season with the Ducks, Cota hauled in a career-high 36 receptions for 497 yards and three touchdowns despite missing five games with a knee injury. Cota caught the go-ahead touchdown for the Ducks in their 28-7 Holiday Bowl victory over North Carolina last December to close out the season.
Prior to transferring to Oregon, Cota spent four seasons at UCLA, where he came down with 67 receptions for 883 yards and six touchdowns. He did not receive an invite to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, but performed well at Oregon’s Pro Day in March. His 4.50-second 40-yard dash would have tied the 23rd-fastest time at the Combine among receivers. His 37.5-inch vertical would have tied for the 13th-highest jump at the positions.
Chase Cota joins defending Super Bowl champions
He’ll have a chance to carve out a role for the receiver-needy Chiefs, who remain on the lookout for production alongside star tight end Travis Kelce.
In the 41-10 Week 3 victory over the Chicago Bears, a couple of young receivers came through. Rookie and former SMU star Rashee Rice hauled in five receptions for 59 yards, while second-year pass-catcher Skyy Moore had four receptions for 42 yards.