Chiefs Make Emmanuel Ogbah Signing Official, Part Ways With UDFA CB

Emmanuel Ogbah is officially a Chief, and a rookie cornerback was released to make room on the 90-man roster.

Oct 17, 2019; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (90) reacts following the win over the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

As the Kansas City Chiefs close in on their first preseason game of 2026, they're doing so with a familiar face rejoining the fold.

Early on Wednesday evening, the club announced that defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah had officially signed. Ogbah now becomes a Chief for the second time in his career, completing a move that was reported on Tuesday morning pending a physical.

The NFL's afternoon transaction wire and personnel notice originally listed Ogbah as a visit, which coincided with him attending training camp but not wearing pads or working on the field. To make room for Ogbah on the 90-man offseason roster, the Chiefs have released cornerback Bryce Phillips.

Bringing back a Super Bowl champ.

Let's get to work, @EmanOgbah 🤝 pic.twitter.com/UsFSzPtHB3

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 12, 2026

Ogbah, now 32 years old, returns to the place he briefly broke out at during the 2019-20 NFL season. The former second-round pick had 5.5 sacks in 10 games with Kansas City before missing the rest of the season with a pectoral injury, but he was still regarded favorably as a member of the Super Bowl LIV-winning group.

When asked about the imminent Ogbah acquisition on Tuesday, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo expressed plenty of optimism and said he'd kept in contact with Ogbah over the years.

“Yeah, I always had an affection for E," Spagnuolo said. "It was disappointing the one year we had him in 2019. I thought he was really coming on and then he got hurt, and then we didn't have him at the end of the year. But I've always periodically been in touch with him. We've got to get through the physical and all those other things but if he's part of our group, I'll be excited about that.”

Phillips, a former Santa Ana College player, spent his final two collegiate seasons with San Diego State. In two years for the Aztecs, he recorded 74 total tackles (five for loss), 10 passes broken up and a pair of interceptions. He joined Kansas City on an undrafted rookie free agent deal after posting an impressive 8.58 Relative Athletic Score during the pre-draft process.

The Chiefs' offseason roster is down a cornerback, but it gains someone with valuable championship-level experience as the preseason arrives.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.