Kansas City Chiefs News

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Friday that they officially re-signed linebacker Jack Cochrane after he signed his right-of-first-refusal tender. Cochrane will make $3.263 million in 2025. The 26-year-old will return to Chiefs Kingdom for his fourth season after he originally went undrafted out of South Dakota. In his three seasons with the Chiefs, he has racked up 42 tackles (29 solo) and one pass breakup in 47 games (one start). In 15 regular-season games (zero starts) last year, Cochrane had only five tackles (three solo). His most productive season came in 2023, when he had a career-high 28 tackles (21 solo) and a pass breakup in 17 regular-season games (one start). Cochrane played 296 snaps on special teams last season and only nine on defense, so we should expect him to return to a similar role with the Chiefs in 2025.

Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Janarius Robinson agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday. Robinson will add depth and pass-rushing ability to the team's defensive line under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The 25-year-old former fourth-rounder (134th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 out of Florida State made his NFL debut with the Raiders in 2023 and has just 13 tackles (seven solo), 1.5 sacks, four QB hits and one pass breakup in the last two years in Vegas over 16 games (three starts). The 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end was suspended for the final three games of last season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Robinson will merely be hoping to impress the coaching staff enough to earn a 53-man roster spot this summer in training camp.

Veteran free-agent safety Mike Edwards is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, a source tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. After spending the 2024 season with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Edwards will return to Kansas City after winning the Super Bowl with them in 2023. The 28-year-old former third-rounder (99th overall) by the Buccaneers in 2019 out of Hawaii played in only eight combined games (two starts) in Buffalo and Tampa last year and has 12 tackles (seven solo). In his lone season with the Chiefs in 2023, Edwards compiled 51 tackles (32 solo), one sack, one interception, five pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) in 17 regular-season games (five starts). The six-year NFL veteran will provide depth for Steve Spagnuolo's defense and won't be relevant in IDP fantasy leagues.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee), who missed all but the opening month of 2024 after having knee surgery for a torn LCL, is expected to be ready for training camp in July, according to head coach Andy Reid. "He's on track to be ready," Reid said. "We'll see. He's working his tail off right now, I know." Before suffering his season-ending knee injury in Week 4, Rice was leading the league in catches through three weeks and was second in receiving yards as quarterback Patrick Mahomes' favorite target. While Rice should continue to be a bit part of KC's passing attack in 2025 if healthy, he'll also be sharing targets with both Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy. The 24-year-old former second-rounder is a physical freak, though, and excels at generating yards after the catch in one of the best offenses in the league. As long as his knee injury doesn't cause him to lose a step, he'll have WR1 upside in fantasy.

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Thursday that they re-signed cornerback Nazeeh Johnson to an undisclosed deal. Johnson will stick around with the Chiefs for secondary depth after originally being taken in the seventh round (259th overall) by KC in 2022 out of Marshall. The 26-year-old defensive back did not play at all in 2023 and has 64 tackles (38 solo), one sack and three pass breakups in 27 games (six starts) in his two NFL seasons, with 56 of those tackles coming in 16 regular-season games (six starts) last year. Johnson is far off the fantasy radar in IDP leagues, but he should retain his rotational role in the Chiefs' secondary in 2025 while also contributing on special teams.

The Kansas City Chiefs made re-signing wide receiver Marquise Brown a priority this offseason, according to ESPN's Adam Teicher. "Hollywood" was limited to just two regular-season games in 2024 after signing a one-year deal with the team due to a preseason shoulder injury that landed him on long-term Injured Reserve. In two regular-season games and three playoff games, Brown caught 14 passes for 141 yards on 28 targets. Despite his limited action, the team saw enough to continue to believe in him heading into 2025. "Not everyone told me how much he can actually do on the football field and you could see it," quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. "He can run those over-the-middle routes. He can run really good routes and he can run deep. It's not like fast is the only thing that he can do." Brown could be a major factor in Kansas City's passing game to begin the season as Rashee Rice works his way back from a major knee injury and Travis Kelce continues to potentially decline.

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Monday that they re-signed defensive tackle Mike Pennel to an undisclosed deal. Pennel will return to Kansas City for a third year after playing in 17 regular-season games (seven starts) and recording 25 tackles (10 solo), a career-high three sacks and a forced fumble. The 33-year-old veteran only appeared in three regular-season games for the Chiefs in his first year with the team. Pennel will now return to Kansas City in a rotational role on the interior of their defensive line as a rotational player, which means he won't be on the fantasy radar in IDP formats. In his 11 seasons in the NFL, Pennel has recorded 231 tackles (127 solo), only five sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 138 regular-season games (25 starts).

Free-agent defensive back Robert Rochell has reached a one-year agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs, per Adam Schefter. The details of the contract have not been disclosed. Rochell is entering his fifth season after the Los Angeles Rams selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old suited up 11 times in 2024, garnering one snap. He'll join fellow cornerback Kristian Fulton as the team's new additions at DB. The Central Arkansas alum's lack of production throughout his tenure (15 tackles, one interception) points to him being just more depth for the squad. Rochell could push for more playing time with the Chiefs' defense in flux. However, he's unlikely to make waves in fantasy.

The Kansas City Chiefs have re-signed defensive end Charles Omenihu. They've agreed on a one-year, $7 million contract for the upcoming season. Omenihu didn't play a full season in 2024 because he was still recovering from an ACL tear from 2023. Before suffering his season-ending knee injury, Omenihu recorded 28 tackles, five tackles for loss, and seven sacks in 11 games in 2023. He put up minimal stats last season, but he only played in six games. This is a solid deal for the Chiefs to bring back a valuable defensive piece.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed veteran free-agent defensive tackle Jerry Tillery to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, according to Chiefs.com's Matt McMullen. Tiller will join the Chiefs in 2025 after recording 28 tackles (13 solo) and a forced fumble in 17 regular-season games (11 starts) in his lone season with the Minnesota Vikings. His 467 defensive snaps ranked fourth among defensive linemen on the team. The 28-year-old was mostly used as a defensive end in Minnesota's 3-4 defensive scheme, but he's expected to compete for an interior defensive-tackle role in the Chiefs' 4-3 defense this summer in training camp. Tillery is versatile for his ability to play both on the interior and on the outside, but he's unlikely to suddenly become an option in IDP fantasy formats. The former first-rounder of the Los Angeles Chargers has only 12.5 sacks in six NFL seasons and has never had more than 51 total tackles in a single season.

The Kansas City Chiefs re-signed defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, according to his agents. The 25-year-old former sixth-round pick (189th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2021 NFL draft out of USC was on the Chiefs' active 53-man roster for most of the regular season in 2024, but he saw action in only two games (one start) and had four tackles (two solo) in the Week 18 regular season finale against the division-rival Denver Broncos with the team resting most of their starters. Tuipulotu will be competing for a roster spot as interior defensive line depth in training camp this summer in his second year with the team. In 14 games (non starts) for the Eagles in 2023, he had a career-high 22 tackles (13 solo) and two sacks.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has signed a new deal to remain with the organization. Smith-Schuster returns on a one-year deal for an undisclosed amount of money. The former second-round pick was decent as a depth option for the Chiefs last season. He hauled in 18 receptions for 231 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games (eight starts) with the Chiefs last season. The expectation is that Smith-Schuster will slide somewhere behind Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, and Rashee Rice (knee) once he's healthy enough to play. It's tough to imagine Smith-Schuster being a fantasy relevant player on a weekly basis.

The Kansas City Chiefs are re-signing veteran running back Kareem Hunt to a one-year, $1.5 million deal with incentives on Friday, a source tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Hunt began last year on the street before he reunited with the Chiefs when starting RB Isaiah Pacheco went down with an early-season injury. The 29-year-old ended up being a big waiver-wire pickup for fantasy managers, as he went on to rush for 728 yards -- his most since 2020 with the Cleveland Browns -- and seven touchdowns on 200 rushing attempts in 13 regular-season games (eight starts). Hunt also added 23 catches for 176 yards through the air. It was a nice career resurgence for Hunt, who started his career with two seasons in KC back in 2017-18. However, with Pacheco healthy and the team bringing in Elijah Mitchell in free agency, Hunt could be the No. 3 back to open the 2025 season.

A day after adding quarterback Gardner Minshew II to the quarterback room, the Kansas City Chiefs re-signed QB Bailey Zappe to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Zappe began last season with the Kansas City Chiefs but eventually joined the Cleveland Browns and started the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, going 16-for-31 for 170 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The 25-year-old former fourth-round pick (137th overall) by the New England Patriots in 2022 out of Western Kentucky will open the 2025 season as Kansas City's third-stringer behind Mahomes and Minshew. In his three years in the NFL, he has completed 62.1% of his 335 pass attempts for 2,223 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Free-agent quarterback Gardner Minshew II reached a two-year agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news. The amount of the deal has yet to be disclosed. Just one season after the Las Vegas Raiders inked Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract, he'll join his fifth squad after being selected by Jacksonville in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. With the release of former Chief Carson Wentz, the 28-year-old Minshew will slot in as the backup to new starter Patrick Mahomes. The Washington State product never panned out consistently as a starter. Still, he's one of the better second-string options in the league and provides a skillset similar to Mahomes with his mobility. Kansas City has yet to make a groundbreaking acquisition in 2025, but they've picked up some essential depth pieces.

The Kansas City Chiefs restructured the contract of defensive tackle Chris Jones on Wednesday, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. In addition to Jones, the Chiefs also restructured quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract to free up $49.446 million in salary cap space for this year. In recent weeks, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on offensive guard Trey Smith and re-signed linebacker Nick Bolton and wide receiver Marquise Brown. This week in free agency, KC added offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and cornerback Kristian Fulton. The 30-year-old Jones has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last six seasons and has been a first-team All-Pro in each of the last three seasons as one of the best defensive tackles in the league. However, after recording 26 sacks in 2022 and 2023, Jones had only five sacks in 15 regular-season starts in 2024.

According to ESPN's Field Yates, the Kansas City Chiefs have restructured quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract, effectively freeing up cap space to sign recent free-agent acquisitions. Per Yates, the Chiefs also tweaked defensive tackle Chris Jones' contract, adding $49.446 million to their 2025 salary cap. This smart move allowed Kansas City to comfortably sign defensive back Kristian Fulton and offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and should afford them some cushion to pursue others. The Chiefs fell shy of repeating their Super Bowl success for the third straight season, but they'll continue to retool their roster in an effort to get back to the big game this upcoming year. Despite Mahomes' on-field success, it hasn't correlated to fantasy lineups over the last few years. In 2024, the Texas Tech product set a career low with 3,928 passing yards while matching the lowest passing TD figure of his eight-year career (26) and tossed double-digit interceptions for the fourth-straight season.

Former Los Angeles Chargers standout cornerback Kristian Fulton agreed to terms with the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday on a two-year, $20 million deal with $15 million guaranteed, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Fulton has the chance to make as much as $20.5 million through incentives. In his lone season with the Chargers, the 26-year-old defensive back had a career-best 51 tackles (39 solo), one interception and seven pass breakups in 15 regular-season games (14 starts). He will stay in the AFC West and join a Chiefs secondary that was already one of the best in the NFL in 2024 under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Fulton was a second-round pick (61st overall) by the Tennessee Titans in 2020 out of LSU and spent the first four years of his career with the Titans before joining L.A. last year. He has 201 career tackles (155 solo), one sack and five interceptions in 57 games (51 starts).

The Kansas City Chiefs signed four-year veteran free-agent offensive lineman Jaylon Moore (quadriceps) to a two-year, $30 million deal on Monday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Moore, a fifth-round pick (155th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 out of Western Michigan, played in all four seasons in the Bay Area but started only 12 of the 55 games he appeared in. The 27-year-old appeared in 15 games last year (five starts)and finished the year on Injured Reserve due to a quadriceps injury. Although he was mostly a backup with the Niners, the Chiefs are hoping he can bring some stability to their left-tackle spot after they went through four players at the position in 2024. After going through Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris and D.J. Humphries, the Chiefs ended the year with Joe Thuney at left tackle. They traded Thuney to the Bears last week.

The Houston Texans are signing Kansas City Chiefs free-agent wide receiver Justin Watson to an undisclosed deal on Monday, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Texans also added former Miami Dolphins wideout Braxton Berrios on Monday for additional receiver depth behind starter Nico Collins. Stefon Diggs (knee) is a pending free agent, and Tank Dell (knee) could miss all of the 2025 season following a gruesome knee injury in 2024. In addition to Berrios and Watson, the Texans added Christian Kirk (collarbone) in a trade with the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars last week. The 28-year-old Watson will probably serve as Houston's No. 3 receiver, at best, in 2025 if both Collins and Kirk are healthy. The former fifth-rounder by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018 out of Pennsylvania had 289 receiving yards and two TDs on 22 catches in 17 regular-season games with KC a year ago.