PHOENIX — Marcus Kemp is becoming an expert on how Super Bowl week works.
The Kansas City Chiefs practice squad member and special teams ace is back for his third Super Bowl with the team in four years, when the Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in this year’s Super Bowl on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. MST at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
“It’s been fun. I’m trying not to take it for granted because it feels like I’ve been here every other year,” Kemp told the Deseret News on Monday during the Super Bowl Opening Night event.
Kemp, who played wide receiver at Layton High, is one of five practice squad players with Utah ties on either the Chiefs’ or Eagles’ rosters this year who could win a Super Bowl ring.
Another Utah tie, former Timpview High and University of Utah standout Britain Covey, is the Eagles’ punt specialist and the only local on the active roster for either team.
For Kemp, this year’s matchup could be his second straight time playing in a Super Bowl — he played 10 offensive snaps and 18 on special teams for the Chiefs in a 31-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55.
Or Kemp could be on the sideline, like he was when Kansas City won a Super Bowl ring with its 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54.
That time, though, Kemp was sidelined with an injury and on the injured reserve list.
This time around, there’s the possibility the 27-year-old plays in the NFL’s championship game as a practice squad elevation.
He did that in the AFC championship game, when Kansas City beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to advance to the Super Bowl. In that contest, Kemp even had his first postseason reception — a 13-yarder in the fourth quarter — when injuries started piling up for the Chiefs at wide receiver.
Kemp ended up playing a career-high 40 snaps in that game — 22 on offense, 18 on special teams.
“I’ll be prepared just like I was last week to step into a situation like that,” Kemp said on the possibility of him being needed in the Super Bowl.
Kansas City still has some injury situations at wide receiver to monitor heading into Sunday’s game.
The Chiefs placed Mecole Hardman on injured reserve Monday with a pelvic injury, ending his season.
Two other wide receivers, JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hamstring), have appeared on the injury report this week, though Smith-Schuster was a full participant Wednesday and Thursday, and Toney was only limited on Wednesday.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid showed appreciation for the versatility and commitment Kemp, a six-year NFL veteran, has shown throughout his career, most of which has been spent in Kansas City.
“Marcus has been in and out with us off and on. He’s a very good special teams player, and he’s a good receiver — he knows all the positions, including tight end,” Reid told the Deseret News on Monday.
“Early on, I learned so much here and I was able to grow so quickly in those first couple years. This is kind of where I grew up — where I became the player that I am today.” — Marcus Kemp on playing for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kemp has had other opportunities with other teams, even though he signed as an undrafted free agent with Kansas City in 2017 and stuck with the Chiefs for much of the next four years.
In December 2020, Kansas City waived him and Kemp landed on the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad a week later. That didn’t last long, though, as his Dolphins contract expired and he ended up back with Kansas City during its playoff run that season and played in the Super Bowl.
Then, for a month last summer, Kemp signed with the New York Giants during training camp. After getting injured and released, he ended up back in Kansas City, again on the practice squad.
“Early on, I learned so much here and I was able to grow so quickly in those first couple years. This is kind of where I grew up — where I became the player that I am today,” Kemp said of the Chiefs organization.
“It’s always easy to come back to a situation like this where I am so comfortable. And obviously, I love the guys, I love the coaching staff. It’s very easy if I ever get the call from them to accept.”
If Kemp plays Sunday, it will be his fifth game he’s played this season for Kansas City as a practice squad call-up, including that AFC championship game appearance.
“It’ll be fun (if it happens),” Kemp said. “I never want to hope for any injuries, even if it’s to my benefit. I hope everybody is healthy, I hope everybody can play. And if my number is called, I made a habit out of preparing as if I was going to play, regardless of if I am on the practice squad or not.”
