Kenneth Walker III Seattle Seahawks
Getty
Kenneth Walker III #9 of the Seattle Seahawks
The Kansas City Chiefs were among the most active teams during NFL free agency.
Although they lost several starters, the Chiefs made a couple of big trades and several impact signings.
They still have some needs, specifically at pass rusher, wide receiver, and cornerback. Kansas City may not be completely finished adding free agents, and they have nine picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to round out their roster with.
Kansas City Chiefs Receive High Grade From Pro Football Focus Following 1st Week of Free Agency
PFF
See the full free agency grades for all 32 teams here 📊
The folks at the polarizing analytics site are impressed with how the Chiefs have handled the offseason so far, giving them an overall grade of a B. It of course all begins with the headline signing of running back Kenneth Walker III:
“The Super Bowl MVP lands with the Chiefs in one of the best fits of the earlier moves so far. Walker accounted for 42 explosive runs in 2025 and led the league with a 91.5 PFF rushing grade. His 77 forced missed tackles were the second most among running backs. He lands with a team, against whom defenses will not be able to sell out to stop the run when quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back healthy.”
Although PFF believes the Chiefs overpaid a bit for defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga, they do think that he will make an impact:
“Tonga played a career-high 415 snaps for the Patriots in 2025, although his middling production — 17 quarterback pressures and 15 run stops — likely isn’t worth $7 million per year. Still, Tonga has proven he can fill out a team’s interior depth well over the course of his five-year NFL career, and now he’ll slot in alongside Chris Jones.”
PFF then stated that Kansas City got nearly a perfect bargain for safety Alohi Gilman:
“Across stops with both the Chargers and Ravens in 2025, Gilman was an effective player against multiple offensive facets by earning 71.6-plus PFF run-defense and coverage grades. While he could stand to improve his tackling (career 14.4% miss rate), his positional versatility is a definite asset. Gilman comes in slightly above projected value but should be a good replacement for Bryan Cook.”
To cap it all off, the moves to re-sign tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyquan Thornton were no-brainers:
“News broke earlier today that Kelce had told interested teams that he would be returning to Kansas City, and now we have the terms. While he’s not the same player he once was, Kelce still ranked fourth among tight ends in PFF Wins Above Replacement last season while placing among the top 20 players at the position in PFF overall grade.”
“After spending his first three seasons in New England, Thornton settled into a more effective role with the Chiefs. He boasted a career-high 68.4 PFF receiving grade and 1.70 yards per route run in 2025 while not dropping any of his 36 catchable targets. Thornton returns to Kansas City as a nice complementary piece for Patrick Mahomes, with more chances to convert on deep passes using his prolific speed.”
Examining Other Free Agent Additions the Chiefs Have Made
Miami Dolphins
GettyCB Kader Kohou
Kansas City continued to beef of its backfield by adding Emari Demercado to the mix. Demercado has an impressive 6.5 yards per carry average throughout his three-year NFL career, and totaled over 1,100 scrimmage yards for the Arizona Cardinals.
The Chiefs also addressed their major need for a slot cornerback in Kader Kohou. He is coming off a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2025 season, but had a productive four-year career with the Miami Dolphins before then.