Before agreeing to a three-year, $21 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this week, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga could fairly be described as a journeyman.
The 6-foot-2, 335-pound BYU product was taken by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He then spent time on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad before he was plucked by the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. Next came Arizona in 2024 and an AFC championship run with the New England Patriots in 2025.
Now 29, Tonga has, at long last, signed a multi-year contract with the Chiefs.
“It means a lot to me,” he said Thursday. “To feel wanted and to feel like you belong somewhere, it’s a pretty cool feeling. I’m grateful for all the teams I did get to be with, but the fact that I get to be here just for a bit longer, it feels good.”
It sounds simple, but the Chiefs wanted Tonga because they needed someone just like him — a space-eater in the middle of the defensive line who can bring athleticism and set a tone.
According to PFF, Tonga had 17 quarterback pressures and 15 run-stops with the Patriots last season.
“I love being physical,” he said. “My game — I take a lot of pride in how physical my hands can be. I take a lot of pride in how fast I can get off the ball. So for me, those are the two things I feel like I bring to the table, and I can’t wait to be able to learn from Chris (Jones) and learn from all the other guys in the D-line room that do everything so well.”
As soon as news of Tonga’s signing broke, Jones celebrated by calling him a “dawg” on X. Tonga said he met Jones in person in Kansas City’s weight room on Thursday before meeting with the media.
“I’m pumped to come in and play next to Chris,” he said. “He looks pretty mad about last season, and I’m excited. I can’t wait to be able to go and be able to help him out and be able to help out the defense as much as I can.”
Tonga’s value extends beyond the defensive side of the football. Last year in New England, he played 14 offensive snaps as a lead-blocking fullback. While he says he won’t push fellow BYU alum and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid in that direction, he will be ready if he gets the call on offense.
“It was so fun,” Tonga said of playing offense in New England. “I was grateful for the coaches for trusting me enough to even give me the opportunity to try, and I had a lot of fun doing it. I really enjoyed it.”
If Tonga does get the nod to block on offense, it would be for Kenneth Walker, whom the Chiefs signed as their new starting running back in the same free-agency wave this week. Tonga knows Walker well, having lost to him in last year’s Super Bowl.
Tonga says that experience has motivated him to get the job done in Kansas City.
“It’s so hard to win in this league,” he said. “I was just enjoying the moment and the opportunity we were given because I’ve been on teams where we won three games, four games, so (the Super Bowl) doesn’t come around a lot.
“So for me, last year was just a whole lot of gratefulness, being excited — and now I get to be in a culture where they’re used to that.”