The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2025 second-round pick, defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, re-aggravated an ankle injury during Friday night’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, raising concerns about his availability for upcoming games, according to Jesse Newell of The Athletic.
With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, Norman-Lott, who had been receiving significant snaps against Seattle’s first-team offense, went down and was visibly in pain on the field. Chiefs trainers immediately attended to him, confirming the issue as ankle-related.
Initially listed as questionable to return, Norman-Lott did re-enter the game in the second quarter, demonstrating the team’s confidence in his long-term durability despite ongoing injury concerns throughout training camp. These early reps are considered pivotal for his development as the Chiefs look to bolster their defensive front.
Norman-Lott joined the Chiefs after an impressive collegiate career split between the Arizona State Sun Devils and Tennessee Volunteers. At Tennessee, he recorded an 18.9 percent pass-rush win rate during the 2024 season, finishing with 26 tackles, six for loss, five and a half sacks, and a fumble recovery. His performance helped make him a desirable option for the Chiefs, who selected him 63rd overall, slightly earlier than many draft analysts anticipated.
The rookie was competing for a starting role alongside star pass rusher Chris Jones in the middle of Kansas City’s defensive line. Jones, who played a career-high 83 percent of snaps in 2025, remains the engine of the team’s pass rush, but the Chiefs have stressed the need for additional interior pressure to reduce the workload on their 30-year-old veteran. With Norman-Lott sidelined, the team relied on Fabien Lovett Sr. and Marlon Tuipulotu to anchor the middle of the front seven against Seattle.
Norman-Lott, born March 11, 2002, grew up in North Highlands, California, and played high school football at Grant Union High School in Sacramento. Rated a three-star recruit, he initially committed to Arizona State before transferring to Tennessee, where he showed growth and consistency despite a suspension for the first half of Tennessee’s Week 4 game in 2023.
