Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe Signs with Atlanta Falcons
Dontari Poe has officially seen his last days as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The former first round pick by the Chiefs has agreed on a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
It was a pretty well-known fact that the KC Chiefs weren’t going to retain Dontari Poe for 2017 and beyond. It became evident once the Chiefs announced they weren’t going to franchise tag him and even more evident when they inked Eric Berry to a long-term deal.
Simply put – This move, as sad as it is for Chiefs Kingdom, is a smart move.
Poe was a great player in his early years, but back injuries and the lack of stopping the rush were what doomed Poe’s future in Kansas City.
Falcons gave former Chiefs' DT Dontari Poe a one-year, $8 million deal that could increase to $10M with incentives, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2017
Poe had met with several other teams, but agreed to terms with the Falcons. Scott Pioli, who was the general manager back in 2012 when Poe was drafted, is the assistant general manager down in Atlanta, so this move makes perfect sense.
So after visiting Colts, Jaguars, Dolphins, former Chiefs DT Dontari Poe winds up with the Atlanta Falcons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2017
Chiefs fans don’t wish any ill will towards Poe. The guy was great in his first few seasons and even provided some spark on the offensive side of the ball. He ran for two touchdowns, both against the Raiders, and also threw a jump ball touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day.
He was a great player and definitely will be missed by KC Chiefs fans. Unfortunately, re-signing him just didn’t make sense for the Chiefs and I’m glad that John Dorsey recognized that and let the former Memphis standout walk.
The fact that the Falcons only signed him to a one-year deal proves that the Kansas City Chiefs made the right move here.
Best of luck to Dontari Poe and hopefully he does well in Atlanta!