Kansas City Chiefs should sign Whitney Mercilus

Whitney Mercilus has hit the open market after being released by the Houston Texans. The Kansas City Chiefs should make a play for him.

The Houston Texans have released veteran edge rusher Whitney Mercilus. The long-time Texans pass rusher was in the final year of his four-year, $54 million contract. The Kansas City Chiefs should be taking notes.

Over the course of his 10-year career in Houston, Mercilus recorded an impressive 57 sacks, 357 total tackles, and 13 forced fumbles. In previous years, he was a dominant force coming off the edge, opposite superstar J.J. Watt.

Unfortunately for Mercilus, the Texans have completely imploded as a franchise. Houston is currently sitting at 1-5, with no signs of improvement. With the franchise in a rebuild, releasing Mercilus made the most sense.

Now, towards the end of his career, Mercilus looks to join a Super Bowl-caliber team in need of a pass-rusher. It just so happens that the Chiefs fit that description perfectly.

So far in 2021, Mercilus has played in all six games, accumulating a stat line of six solo tackles and 3.0 sacks. In comparison, Mike Danna leads the Chiefs with 3.0 sacks. This just proves that the Chiefs don’t have enough talent at the defensive end position.

Kansas City’s pass rush has been immensely disappointing this year. According to NFL.com, the Chiefs have amassed 11 sacks through six games, which ranks worst in the NFL. Outside of Danna, the Chiefs don’t have a consistent pass-rusher. They simply lack the personnel.

You can’t convince me that Alex Okafor is currently better than Mercilus. Both the numbers and the film don’t reflect that narrative.  I’m not saying Mercilus is the solution to all the problems, but he could certainly help.

There have even been rumors linking Whitney Mercilus to the Chiefs:

The question is: Should the Chiefs sign him?

I personally believe signing Mercilus is an easy decision. At the very least, a decision the Chiefs should contemplate. Kansas City would likely have to release a player to make room for Mercilus, but he’s worth the roster spot.

Mercilus is just a capable pass-rusher that offers veteran leadership and quality production. Nothing special, but something the Kansas City Chiefs desperately need.