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Buffalo Bills Rookie Cut Before Season Retires to Join Military Service

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90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: LB Keonta Jenkins | Buffalo Rumblings

Buffalo, New York – The NFL is often hailed as the ultimate arena for athletic ambition, but for one resilient Buffalo rookie, the pursuit of professional stardom has pivoted from the turf to a profound sense of duty and service.

After inking a deal as an undrafted free agent in May, the tenacious cornerback battled fiercely through training camp and preseason skirmishes, vying for a precious spot on a Bills roster hungry for defensive back depth and swagger in the secondary.

That player is Keonta Jenkins, a dynamic standout from West Virginia University who forged his legacy with 8 career interceptions in college, earning acclaim as a shutdown press-man corner with elite ball skills and a knack for game-changing plays on special teams.

Waived in late August, Jenkins left Bills Nation reeling by revealing his abrupt retirement from pro football and his bold choice to join the U.S. military, swapping a Bills helmet for the uniform of a soldier.

“I chased the NFL dream in Buffalo, but getting cut right before Week 1 cracked open a door I couldn’t ignore,” Jenkins shared in a heartfelt statement. “This isn’t a defeat—it’s my true purpose. I’ll serve my country with the same fire and fight I brought to the Bills every snap.”

At 6’0” and 190 pounds, Jenkins was pegged as a versatile slot corner with the speed and instincts to match up against elite receivers, though his boundary size drew some scouts’ skepticism. His preseason PFF grade of 68 underscored his poise under pressure, but the cutthroat depth chart competition in Buffalo’s star-studded secondary proved too steep a climb.

For the Bills, the departure marks the end of an intriguing developmental arc under defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. For Jenkins, it launches an epic new chapter that embodies his “underdog” ethos—a competitor who’s always defied the odds to shine.

Fans across Western New York and the college football world flooded social media with tributes, dubbing it “the real MVP move” and “a reminder that courage outshines any Super Bowl ring.” Jenkins steps away from the NFL spotlight, but his upcoming mission on the front lines could etch an even bolder legacy.

Chiefs Head Coach Announces Chris Jones to Start on the Bench for Standout Rookie After Costly Mistake vs. Jaguars
  Kansas City, MO —The Kansas City Chiefs’ coaching staff confirmed that Chris Jones will start on the bench in the next game to make way for rookie DT Omarr Norman-Lott, following a mistake viewed as pivotal in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The move is framed as a message about discipline and micro-detail up front, while forcing the entire front seven to re-sync with Steve Spagnuolo’s system. Early-week film study highlighted two core issues. First, a neutral-zone/offsides penalty on a late 3rd-and-short that extended a Jaguars drive and set up the decisive points. Second, a Tex stunt (tackle–end exchange) that broke timing: the call asked Jones to spike the B-gap to occupy the guard while the end looped into the A-gap, but the footwork and shoulder angle didn’t marry, opening a clear cutback lane. To Spagnuolo, this was more than an individual error—it was a warning about snap discipline, gap integrity, pad level, and landmarks at contact, the very details that define Kansas City’s “January standard.” Under the adjusted plan, Omarr Norman-Lott takes the base/early-downs start to tighten interior gap discipline, stabilize run fits, and give the call sheet a cleaner platform. Chris Jones is not being shelved; he’ll be “lit up” in high-leverage situations—3rd-and-long, two-minute stretches, and the red zone—where his interior surge can collapse the pocket and force quarterbacks to drift into edge pursuit. In parallel, the staff will streamline the call sheet with the line group, standardize stunt tags (Tex/Pir), shrink the late-stem window pre-snap, and ramp game-speed reps in 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 so everyone is “seeing it the same, triggering the same.” Meeting the decision head-on, Jones kept it brief but competitive: “I can’t accept letting a kid take my spot, but I respect the coach’s decision. Let’s see what we’re saying after the game. I’ll practice and wait for my chance. When the ball is snapped, the QB will know who I am.” At team level, the Chiefs are banking on a well-timed hard brake to restore core principles: no free yards, no lost fits, more 3rd-and-longs forced, and the return of negative plays (TFLs, QB hits) that flip field position. In an AFC where margins often come down to half a step at the line, getting back to micro-details—from the first heel strike at the snap to the shoulder angle on contact—remains the fastest route for Kansas City to rebound from the stumble against Jacksonville.