The Kansas City Chiefs could be in a roster crunch this week with the debut of Morris Claiborne, who served a four-game suspension to begin the season.

Injuries have been piling up for the Chiefs over the past four weeks, and none of them have resulted in a trip to injured reserve. Instead, the Chiefs have added an offensive tackle from waivers (Greg Senat) and a wide receiver from the practice squad (Byron Pringle). They also had to make room for WR De’Anthony Thomas. There aren’t exactly a lot of roster spots to spare.

The Chiefs will likely receive a roster exemption for Claiborne, which will temporarily solve the problem. However, they’ll need to make room on the 53-man roster for Claiborne ahead of Sunday’s Week 5 game with the Colts.

A big problem is that it doesn’t seem like anyone is any closer to return from injury. Eric Fisher just had surgery for a core muscle injury and is likely weeks away from a return. Tyreek Hill is in the process of being evaluated but is unlikely to play this week according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Damien Williams could return, but the Chiefs are unlikely to get rid of any of their four running backs on the roster. Most recently, Alex Okafor is dealing with a hip injury, and the Chiefs only have four defensive ends on the roster. That could cause the Chiefs to need another roster space for that position.

So how will the Chiefs go about determining which player should be released to make room for Claiborne? The Chiefs have a lot of options to sort through and will face a tough decision. More than a fifth of the 53-man roster is made up of offensive linemen, so I’d pay close attention to that spot. These are the players who will be talked about when it comes to opening up a roster spot for Claiborne.

OL Nick Allegretti

Offensive linemen are hard to find, and sixth-round draft picks don’t always make the team. Perhaps the Chiefs think they could sneak Allegretti onto the practice squad.

OL Martinas Rankin

The Chiefs traded for Rankin ahead of Week 1, and he hasn’t yet been active for a game. Even with the starting left tackle injured, it’s been a no-go for Rankin. Perhaps the Texans got the better of the Chiefs in this trade.

OT Greg Senat

The most recent addition to the Chiefs roster has yet to be active since being claimed ahead of the Week 3 matchup with the Ravens.

WR De’Anthony Thomas

Can the Chiefs really afford to keep a player who only plays special teams? Considering the team’s struggles here, I feel like Thomas could be on his way out.

WR Byron Pringle

This seems like an unlikely option for the Chiefs, but Pringle was added from the practice squad recently. The Chiefs might think they can sneak him through waivers and back down there. He had one of the most important catches in the Week 4 win over the Lions.

S Jordan Lucas

Lucas currently leads the Chiefs in penalties, with two glaring ones against the Lions. He’s had minimal impact on special teams and has only played in a handful of defensive snaps.

S Armani Watts

Watts has been a primary special teams contributor. As a former fourth-round draft pick, this would be a tough decision for the front office to make.

CB Rashad Fenton

I don’t expect this to be the move given the Chiefs are already short on corners, but Fenton is still eligible for the practice squad and hasn’t shown anything through four games.

LB Reggie Ragland

Ragland was inactive through the first two games to start the season and has played in limited snaps. I’m not sure it’d make sense to release Ragland, but you have to question whether his contributions are worth a roster spot.

LB Dorian O’Daniel

Many speculated that O’Daniel wouldn’t make the 53-man roster. He’s only played on special teams so far this season and could be the odd man out.

DL Khalen Saunders

Saunders appears to be getting the Kahlil McKenzie treatment in his first season as a professional. Can the Chiefs afford a redshirt season with a need for roster space? Giving up on a third-round pick doesn’t seem likely.