Reaser becomes first player to grab spot in NFL team

Cornerback Keith Reaser became the first player from the Alliance of American Football to move to an NFL team, signing Thursday with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to multiple reports. The AAF announced earlier Thursday that league players now could sign with NFL teams.

In the wake of the suspension of play of the struggling AAF on Tuesday, the NFL had told its teams not to contact AAF players because they remained legally under contract and had not yet been released. The AAF played eight of its 10 scheduled weeks of the regular season.

Reaser, who played for the Orlando Apollos, was a fifth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2014 NFL Draft. In three-plus seasons with the 49ers, he played in 29 games with 30 tackles and one quarterback sack. He also played one game for the Chiefs in 2017, making four tackles, but was placed on the waived-injured list in 2018. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Reaser got a $50,000 signing bonus and can earn another $25,000 as a roster bonus and $25,000 more as a workout bonus.

Players were interested in joining the AAF to give them a chance to show the NFL what they could do. On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated listed Reaser among about a dozen players whom evaluators said could have a shot at the NFL. They also included quarterbacks Garrett Gilbert and John Wolford; running back Zac Stacy; and defensive back Derron Smith.

 

(With inputs from agencies.)