The Kansas City Chiefs enter the summer portion of the offseason with a roster still primed for another run at a Super Bowl. For them to make their fourth consecutive appearance, they’ll need all the help they can get.
Kansas City’s current run began with the 2022 NFL Draft when they selected several of their key starters and cornerstones, helping them to two Lombardi Trophies in a row and three straight Super Bowl appearances. The next two draft classes have also played a role in the Chiefs' success, showing their willingness to build from within after beginning the Patrick Mahomes era by loading up on talent.
Now, the Chiefs are in another position to add more depth and talent to push for yet another big-game berth. Edge rusher is still a position they could continue adding to, especially with the recent selection of third-round choice Ashton Gillotte to add to a fair, well-rounded pass rush group.
However, competition is always welcome, which begs the question of whether general manager Brett Veach adds another pass rusher to an already strong room. One player that comes to mind is recently-released edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who the Carolina Panthers released Thursday afternoon during rookie minicamp cuts.
Clowney is an aging veteran who is seemingly running out of time to win a Lombardi Trophy. While the reasoning for his release is unknown, it's possible that the Panthers' current direction wasn’t feasible for Clowney’s goals of playing for a title contender. Kansas City is a team that presents that opportunity the best.
The AFC West is getting better as all of the Chiefs' division rivals have made improvements in some aspect of their respective roster. Clowney would be an interesting addition, but a welcomed one that could give them another stout run defender with outstanding size, length, power at the point of attack, and edge-setting ability to spill runs to the perimeter as a force defender.
In his lone season with the Panthers, Clowney totaled just 5.5 sacks on a historically bad Carolina defense that gave up the most points in a single season in league history. He wouldn’t have the pressure of being an every-down player like he was last season, but it’s fair to ask if a signing makes sense for both parties.
The ultimate goal for the Chiefs and Clowney would be to reach and win the Super Bowl, the team’s third in four years. However, it seems the team is investing in their current pass rush room that features George Karlaftis, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Mike Danna, Charles Omenihu, and Gillotte. It would be difficult for the Chiefs to make room for Clowney, but they could make the re-signed Omenihu expendable.
While adding a veteran talent like Clowney could help Kansas City in the short-term, ultimately, this is unlikely to be the case as the former No. 1 overall selection will likely search for a team that has a need at the position and is in heavy postseason contention.
