The most pressing needs of the Kansas City Chiefs are on offense.
The Chiefs need help on the offensive line, wide receiver, offensive line, and potentially a stopgap quarterback until Patrick Mahomes can return from his torn ACL.
However, Kansas City has some significant needs in the secondary after trading All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick.
Those moves will allow Chiefs general manager Brett Veach to plug holes at multiple positions with young talent. In addition to McDuffie, Kansas City could lose safety Bryan Cook in free agency next week.
Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Cook has been underrated in NFL circles this offseason. It appears the Chiefs are running out of time to re-sign Cook before he earns a new contract in the ballpark of $15 million per season.
“Cook probably should be a bigger name, given his two Super Bowl rings, but he quietly has developed into a top safety,” Pelissero wrote. “Last season, Pro Football Focus gave him an 83.5 overall grade (fifth-highest among DBs with a minimum of 500 snaps) and 83.2 coverage grade (sixth).
“It's a packed free-agent safety class at the position that also includes reigning NFL interceptions leader KevinByard, along with KamrenCurl, JalenThompson, CobyBryant, Nick Cross and ReedBlankenship, among others. Cook could end up with the biggest payday of this group, perhaps in the neighborhood of $15 million a year.”
The Chiefs selected Cook with the No. 62 pick in the 2022 draft. The Cincinnati Bearcats standout has appeared in 62 games and started 47 games during his four-year NFL career.
Cook has recorded 238 tackles, 1 sack, 15 passes defensed, one defensive touchdown and three interceptions. He helped Kansas City win Super Bowl LVII and Super Bowl LVIII.
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