Kansas City Chiefs: Departing Free Agents Remain Unsigned

The Kansas City Chiefs were expected to lose several former key players in Free Agency. However, none of those players have signed with other teams yet.

*Update: Nick Foles has signed a two-year deal with the Eagles just prior to publication of this article.

When it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs and Free Agency, the surprising storyline might be what hasn’t happened yet. While most people are wrapped up in who is signing where, for the Chiefs it is about who isn’t signing elsewhere. That would be every single departing free agent that hasn’t come back to the team.

It’s not unexpected that players like Kenny Cook and Trey Millard are still on the market. There is a good chance that both players are done in the NFL. However, the fact that Dontari Poe, Jamaal Charles, and Nick Foles are still out there is a bit surprising. As of yet, none of these players has been able to strike a deal in Free Agency.

There has been some interest shown by various teams. Dontari Poe is currently on a “world tour” as he expects to meet with a number of teams. Jamaal Charles has received interest from a few suitors. Nick Foles has been tied to the Vikings as a potential backup option to Sam Bradford. So it’s not like teams don’t want these former Chiefs.

Probably the most surprising storyline so far is Dontari Poe. The Chiefs defensive tackle was expected by many to be a top commodity. However, Poe’s struggles with back problems seems to be scaring away some teams, or at least limiting what they are willing to invest. If that continues, a return to Kansas City is not out of the question.

The Other Guys

More from Chiefs Free Agency

• The Kansas City Chiefs Address Defense with This Mock Draft
• Three Cornerbacks the Chiefs Should Pursue in Free Agency
• What Potential Free Agents Could Sign with the Kansas City Chiefs
• Kansas City Chiefs Should Look at These Free Agent Edge Rushers
• The Chiefs Begin the Offseason. What Can We Look Forward To?

There are some other former Chiefs on the market that are also flying under the radar. Josh Mauga, Kendall Reyes, and Jarvis Jenkins will all likely end up on a roster at some point. However, their markets are currently inactive as most will view those three as second or third tier free agents.

Josh Mauga is one player that Chiefs fans should keep an eye on. The team has shown interest in linebackers. So if no other option pans out, it is not out of the picture for Mauga to return to Kansas City in 2017. In fact, that may depend solely on how things go between the Chiefs and 49ers linebacker Gerald Hodges.

Next: Kansas City Chiefs: Free Agency Tracker

The Kansas City Chiefs are working hard at retaining most of the talent from their 12-4 team of 2016. While that makes a lot of sense, it doesn’t make for very many interesting storylines. However, seeing where some of these former Chiefs end up is worth paying attention to. That will determine if KC gets any compensatory picks in 2018.