The Kansas City Chiefs have been making upgrades to their roster in free agency after coming up short in Super Bowl 59. The moves continued on Friday, as they brought quarterback Bailey Zappe back to town and re-signed running back Kareem Hunt. After that, they decided to take a flier on Jerry Tillery, a former first-round pick.
The offseason hasn't necessarily been a resounding win to this point. While they have brought back several players, they have lost some key pieces, such as offensive lineman Joe Thuney and safety Justin Reid. K.C. did franchise tag offensive lineman Trey Smith, while also re-signing Marquise Brown before he hit the open market.
Keeping their own players simply won't be enough, though, as the front office needs to find a way to bring in some new talent. That led them to Tillery, a defensive tackle who was the 28th overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft. The Chiefs opted to bring him to town, scooping him up on a one-year deal.
"Sources: The Chiefs are signing former Chargers 1st-round DT Jerry Tillery to a 1-year deal. Good depth add to the Kansas City D-Line, as Tillery has recorded 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in 50 career starts," Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported in a post on X.
Sources: The #Chiefs are signing former #Chargers 1st-round DT Jerry Tillery to a 1-year deal.
Good depth add to the Kansas City D-Line, as Tillery has recorded 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in 50 career starts. pic.twitter.com/9aysyt3zdK
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 14, 2025
Tillery spent the 2024 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings, and while he did not rack up a single sack for the first time in his career, he still found a way to make an impact against the run. Tillery finished the year with 28 tackles, two passes defended, and a forced fumble.
Previously, Tillery spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers, who initially drafted him back in 2019, and the Las Vegas Raiders. He had 51 tackles and 4.5 sacks back in 2021 with the Chargers, indicating that there is room for him to grow as a pass rusher now that he's landed with the Chiefs.
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This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM.