One of the most underrated moves that the Kansas City Chiefs made this offseason was bringing veteran safety Mike Edwards back on a cheap contract.
After losing Justin Reid to the New Orleans Saints in free agency, the organization needed someone to help guide a pair of young recent draft picks in Bryan Cook and Jaden Hicks. Those two figure to be the starters, yet Edwards will still be the veteran presence who has won a championship and knows the scheme.
He spent 2024 with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a limited role, though Edwards delivered a message to Chiefs Kingdom after officially putting ink to paper.
#ChiefsKingdom We BACK!! ❤️💛 https://t.co/ikgTCYUTmp
— Mike Edwards (@M__Edwards7) April 8, 2025
Mike Edwards Sends Message to Chiefs Kingdom After Signing Contract
In a social media post quoting the organization's announcement, Edwards said on X, "#ChiefsKingdom We BACK!!" He added hearts for good measure, illustrating just how excited he is to be back with Kansas City.
From an on-field perspective, Edwards can help quite a bit. He ranked 37th out of 171 qualified safeties at Pro Football Focus last year and at only 28 years old, he should still be in his athletic prime. Even if he's not a starter, Edwards will get plenty of snaps to positively impact the team.
Considering that the Chiefs have possessed one of the league's best defenses in recent years, Edwards signing could be one of the NFL's most impactful of the last month. He's allowed a passer rating under 78 in each of the last three campaigns when targeted, and now he'll get to return to Steve Spagnuolo's defense in a role that he shined in back in 2023.
Edwards is fired up to be back and Chiefs fans should be too. Cook and Hicks should be the main guys in the rotation, yet Edwards' role could wind up deciding just how effective the secondary will be.
