One of the biggest offseason additions the Kansas City Chiefs made was bringing in safety Alohi Gilman, who spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens. Gilman had 67 tackles and broke up six passes while offering two pressures in a blitzing role. It's clear Gilman is a veteran presence in an extremely young unit.
While the safety has every reason for a high level of confidence, this isn't the outlook the defender brought when speaking to the Chiefs media on Thursday. Gilman made it clear he is embracing the new challenge and isn't looking at this as a clear chance to start, but to make his teammates better as well as learning from them himself.
"I'm in a situation where you know I'm the "older guy," but the guys have been around in the league. I know it's a young team, at least within my DB room; they're all very smart. They all know what they're doing; they've been in the system for some time. So I'm learning from them, and I'm not afraid of that of saying "Hey, I need help." I've pulled them on the side, let's watch some film... It's a collaboration I'm in the learning phase. "Alohi Gilman
This is far from all Gilman had to say, but it gives a peek into the outlook the safety is bringing to the KC locker room. Having a defensive back who is so willingly embracing his need to learn from teammates, no matter the age disparity, speaks to what Gilman brings to the roster. He's leading by example and working to make the team better as a whole, not looking at it from a selfish perspective.
When the Chiefs' dynasty has been at its peak, this is the outlook the franchise has adopted consistently. It wasn't a selfish unit, but a team willing to find any avenue to contribute to winning. This is exactly what Gilman is doing by putting ego aside and embracing his role.
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Gilman not only is saying he will learn from teammates, but also mentions grabbing members of the secondary to watch film. This isn't a one-sided attempt at improvement or learning the difficult system of Steve Spagnuolo.
The 28-year-old is working to make his teammates better while learning himself. It's the exact mindset that a young unit needs to consistently have as they go through the growing pains of losing a number of veterans, like safety Bryan Cook, and retooling in both free agency and this year's draft class.
While there is reason for concern as these adjustments are made, fans will find a bit of relief in these comments from Gilman. It signals that the right pieces are in place and actively working to make the needed improvements heading into the 2026 season.
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