New NFL Rumors Reveal Chiefs, Ravens Trade Ahead of 2026 Roster Cutdown Deadline

The Baltimore Ravens traded offensive tackle Diego Pounds to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens' compensation in the trade is contingent on the picks that Kansas City has available at the end of the 2026 season, resulting in either a Day 3 2027 pick or a Day 3 2028 pick heading to Baltimore.

Pounds, an undrafted rookie, will undergo a change of scenery before teams are required to trim their rosters to 53 players on Sunday.

He spent four years in college with North Carolina and Ole Miss before joining the Ravens after the 2026 draft.

The 23-year-old was effective throughout the start of the preseason for Baltimore prior to the trade.

Pounds' 90.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus through two preseason weeks represented the highest mark of any offensive lineman, as he didn't allow a sack, hurry or quarterback hit in 15 pass-blocking snaps.

Still, he might not have done enough to earn a spot on Baltimore's 53-man roster and was traded instead of potentially getting cut.

Meanwhile, Kansas City has continued to make offensive line additions as Week 1 draws closer. The team previously acquired lineman Josh Ezeudu in a trade with the New York Giants on Wednesday.

It's worth noting that Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons is currently dealing with a back injury, although head coach Andy Reid confirmed that he was optimistic about Simmons' return to practice on Friday.

"Yes," Reid said, per Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star. "It's going to take a little bit of time here. He's a hard worker when it comes to these types of things. It's just a matter of eliminating some of the pain that he has — and strength, making sure he has enough strength there."

As Simmons continues to recover, the Chiefs bolstered their depth behind him by adding Pounds.