Chiefs' Bryan Cook headlines KC free agency news and rumors.
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Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook after his Super Bowl interception in February of 2025.
While the Kansas City Chiefs have made a couple of splash free agent signings, they have also lost a couple of their own.
According to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport, safety Bryan Cook has agreed to a three-year, $42.25 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cook is now the third starter in the Chiefs’ secondary to leave Kansas City, as cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are now members of the Los Angeles Rams. Another Chiefs defensive starter, linebacker Leo Chenal, is expected to have multiple suitors on the open market.
Former Kansas City Chiefs S Bryan Cook Cashes in Coming off Career Year in 2025
Cook has steadily developed into a quality player of the course of his four-year career. 2025 was his best season to date, recording 85 total tackles and six passes defended. He was considered the top safety on the free agent market, and his nearly $14 million a year average given to him by the Bengals reflects that.
Cook will return to the city where he played his college ball, suiting up for the Cincinnati Bearcats from 2019-2021. The Chiefs selected Cook in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. They also selected four other defensive backs that year – McDuffie, Watson, Joshua Williams, and Nazeeh Johnson – a group that Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt dubbed the “Fab Five.”
It appears that Kansas City will lose all five of those guys during the 2026 offseason. Williams and Johnson could be re-signed, but there has not been any indication of that happening as both players have struggled in recent years. The 2022 draft class gave the Chiefs an injection of much-needed youth at the time, and helped propel them to winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023.
Examining the Remaining Chiefs’ Secondary
Chiefs CB Nohl Williams
GettyChiefs CB Nohl Williams
Kansas City’s secondary is now very thin, but does have some promise. The most encouraging factor is the ability of Merritt and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s abilities to develop defensive backs. Because of their track record producing elite cornerbacks and safeties, the Chiefs have rarely committed big money to either position.
The cupboard isn’t empty when it comes to the secondary. Nohl Williams is coming off an impressive rookie season in which he posted a 74.5 grade from Pro Football Focus, which was 16th out of 114 qualifying cornerbacks. Cornerback Kristian Fulton bounced back after an injury riddled start to the 2025 season and played well during the last few games.
Beyond those two, however, the Chiefs don’t have a lot to hang their hat on. They badly need a slot cornerback as Williams and Fulton play out of the boundary. As far as safety goes, Jaden Hicks and Chamarri Conner are now their top two guys. In 2025 Hicks struggled to replicate the success of his rookie year, and Conner has struggled mightily in coverage throughout his three-year career.
Christian Roland-Wallace has shown some promise as a deep safety, and could also contribute as a nickel corner. The Chiefs will need to invest into the safety position, possibly going as far as finding their No. 1 guy. They could do that with one of their four top 100 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, especially considering the free agent crop is lackluster. However, they could add an affordable free agent veteran for depth.