KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs added more depth to their secondary Tuesday with the signing of free agent defensive back Josh Shaw, who played in 47 games with 14 starts for the Cincinnati Bengals the past three seasons.
Shaw, a fourth-round pick by the Bengals in 2015 from USC, suffered a groin injury during the club's third preseason game in August. Cincinnati waived Shaw with an injury designation during the cut down to the opening week 53-man roster. They later reached an injury settlement with the 26-year-old defensive back, making him a free agent.
Shaw played both cornerback and safety for the Bengals, tallying 96 total tackles with seven passes defended and one interception. His best season came in 2016 when he started 12 games for the Bengals.
He started his college career at Florida but transferred to USC after two seasons and the NCAA granted a hardship waiver allowing him to play immediately.
USC suspended Shaw prior to his senior season when he misled the school on how he suffered injuries to both his ankles. He initially informed the team he suffered the injuries in a jump from a second-story apartment trying to save his nephew from drowning in a pool. He actually suffered the injuries after leaping from his balcony in avoiding the police following an alleged argument between Shaw and his girlfriend.
The Chiefs cleared space for Shaw by waiving tight end Alex Ellis. Ellis played sparingly during the first three games of the season and was inactive for Monday night's 27-23 win against the Denver Broncos.
