Kelvin Benjamin's foray into free agency has been brief.
The former Buffalo Bills wide receiver signed a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team announced Friday. Benjamin's contract with the Chiefs is for one year, a source informed of the situation told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Benjamin was waived by the Bills on Tuesday and went unclaimed on waivers Wednesday before visiting with the Chiefs. By signing with Kansas City, Benjamin more or less ensures he'll be playing for a team bound for the postseason before hitting free agency again this offseason. To make room for Benjamin on the roster, the Chiefs released defensive end Jarvis Jenkins.
ESPN first reported the development.
Buffalo traded a third- and seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers at last season's trade deadline to acquire the big-bodied receiver in hopes he could become a No. 1 target, but Benjamin struggled to adapt to his new AFC East team and on multiple occasions found himself in the headlines for reasons other than his play on the field.
Benjamin will look to turnaround his career in Kansas City, a team that has climbed to the top of the AFC with wunderkind quarterback Patrick Mahomes running the offense. Playing alongside Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce, Benjamin could add even more fire to a third-ranked offense (437.2 yards per game) that is first in scoring (37 per game) and third in passing (316.5 YPG). Or he could be a non-factor -- much like he was in Buffalo.
The fourth-year wide receiver hasn't been the same since tearing his ACL before the start of the 2015 season following a promising rookie campaign. In Buffalo, he was plagued by drops and ineffective play at periods throughout the season. He only recorded seven receptions for 92 yards in his final four games in Western New York. He finished his Bills tenure with 39 catches for 571 yards and two touchdowns.
"At the end of the day, it didn't work for us," Bills coach Sean McDermott said.
Time will tell if Benjamin's addition to the Chiefs proves beneficial or a burden for the Kansas City's Super Bowl aspirations.
