Lin Elliott returns to Chiefs

With the placekicker position an obvious need since the beginning of free agency, the Chiefs attempted to fill the hole Monday by bringing former Chief Lin Elliott out of retirement.

Elliott, who last kicked for the Chiefs in 1995, signed a one-year deal. Per team policy, no further contract details were disclosed.

“Frankly, we feel Lin Elliott still has a lot to offer the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs,” said a source within the Chiefs’ organization. “We’ve looked at the options out there in free agency, and by thinking outside the box and bringing a fine, fine kicker back into the franchise, we think we’ve made the right move. Lin Elliot has playoff experience, he’s made big kicks in playoff games with this team in the past, he has Super Bowl-winning experience, and that’s exactly what we need right now.”

At 39 years of age, Elliott isn’t exactly young, but the Chiefs used a 43-year old placekicker last season in veteran John Carney. Elliott is also the second-most accurate field-goal kicker in Chiefs history (81.7 percent), behind 47-year old Morten Andersen.

Before the Chiefs came calling, Elliott had been working as an investment advisor at Paine Webber. He stated that he still believed he had, “the ability to be playing in the NFL, but no one was calling. I still believe I have the ability to play today.”

Elliott originally entered the NFL with the Cowboys in 1992 after kicking at Texas Tech in college. After two seasons in Dallas he joined the Chiefs, making 49 of 60 field goals during two years in Kansas City.