KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The third preseason game each year provides an opportunity for NFL roster bubble candidates to bolster their cases for jobs during the upcoming campaign. After Saturday’s 33-32 victory over Cleveland, Chiefs receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette and running back La’Mical Perine can safely say they made persuasive arguments.
“I feel like I definitely made it hard for them,” Smith-Marsette said after the game about his roster bid. “That’s what they said to do, and I felt like I’ve done that in these games. And then make it easy for somebody to pick you up if it doesn’t work out. Pray I land on the 53.”
Smith-Marsette hauled in four receptions for 101 yards and a score while Perine proved a threat on the ground and through the air, rushing for 32 yards on four carries and adding three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Perine helped the Chiefs pull within a score late in the first half, taking a pass in the right flat from Blaine Gabbert and stepping through three tackles en route to a 20-yard touchdown romp.
Perine said he tried to block out any thoughts about roster battles and focus on playing consistently well.
“You sit down and you’d be in your head the whole game, and then you’re not realizing that you just got to make plays and just putting good stuff on film,” Perine said. “That’s all I can say. This is my fourth year in the league so just putting good tape out down, hoping to be here, but like they say you work for all 32 teams, so just putting good stuff out there.
With the Chiefs trailing 29-16 midway through the third quarter, Smith-Marsette connected with Gabbert on a 43-yard touchdown strike, splitting two defenders on a fly route and cruising into the end zone for the score.
Smith-Marsette feels he’s thrived in Kansas City under head coach Andy Reid’s philosophy of allowing players to be themselves.
“One thing that coach Reid preaches every game is let your personality show, and I’m somebody with a big personality,” he said. “If I’m able to just go out there and be myself, then I feel like I won’t be stoppable in games.”
Both players have taken similar journeys to their current roles in Kansas City. Perine entered the league as a fourth-round pick with the New York Jets in 2020, while Smith-Marsette was a fifth-round selection for Minnesota in 2021. Both saw limited action early in their careers. Perine played 14 games for the Jets with 263 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Smith-Marsette played 14 games during stints with the Vikings and Chicago, catching six passes for 131 yards.
Last season both arrived in Kansas City on the practice squad looking to rebuild and reimagine their careers. Perine finished the regular season on Miami’s practice squad, and he had an opportunity to sign a reserve/future deal with the Dolphins.
“Talking to my agent, he said, ‘Don’t sign back with Miami because you have a nice opportunity here,’ and that’s how I got here,” Perine said. “I’ve been enjoying it ever since, taking in everything, taking it day by day and working my tail off.”
Smith-Marsette, who turns 24 on Tuesday, said he learned about how to contribute to a winning team during his stint on the practice squad last year.
“I was able to get real comfortable within the playbook and just learn,” he explained. “Sit back and watch Marquez (Valdes-Scantling), he was the older guy, Juju (Smith-Schuster) , and then just sit back and see what you’re going against, the competition the defenses that’s out there. It’s all like a developmental period. My time on practice squad, I felt like I’ve gained that knowledge of what to expect from defenses and how to approach the game better.”
Now both players must play the waiting game. The Chiefs have until 3 p.m. central time Tuesday to reduce their roster from 91 players to 53. Both players have put good enough performances on tape to know they should be playing in 2023, whether it’s for the Chiefs or another team either on the active roster or practice squad.
Saturday marked Perine’s first game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, so it was a special moment for his family. He plans to spend the next few days with them until the roster deadline.
“Just getting them and having them with this opportunity, man, it’s a good thing too,” Perine said. “Seeing me scoring a touchdown and then being able to celebrate the win after, that’s what it’s all about, family, man.”
Smith-Marsette said he plans to relax with some friends from home over the next couple of days.
“Just waiting to see what happens, how everything turns out and hopefully I’m still in Kansas City,” he said.
Regardless of what happens Tuesday, Perine will continue his NFL journey for as long and as far as it takes him.
“Everybody got a different route,” Perine said. “So it’s whatever routes you have, stick with it, keep working and you can beat the odds. Ain’t nothing like that.”
