The Kansas City Chiefs have already undergone a significant amount of turnover in the first 10 days of NFL free agency, losing valuable pieces like Joe Thuney and Justin Reid while making some intriguing additions as well.
Defensive line has been a revolving door in some ways and depending on what happens with Charles Omenihu, it's possible that only Chris Jones and George Karlaftis will have multiple years of experience in the system.
That said, the Chiefs decided to bring back an intriguing, underrated lineman after Tershawn Wharton and Derrick Nnadi both signed elsewhere.
#Chiefs re-signed Marlon Tuipulotu
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 19, 2025
Represented by @aurasportsgroup
Chiefs Re-Sign DT Marlon Tuipulotu in Free Agency
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, Kansas City re-signed defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu on Wednesday. Originally a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, Tuipulotu spent the first three years of his career there before joining the Chiefs for the 2024 campaign.
He only appeared in two games, notching a pair of tackles, though he'll now be expected to potentially take on a larger role on the interior. Both Wharton and Nnadi had been with the organization for a while, and suddenly Tuipulotu is one of the more experienced guys on the line. Jerry Tillery is firmly ahead of him on the depth chart, though there's an opportunity for Tuipulotu to make some noise.
Still just 25 years old, the six-foot-two, 307-pound lineman played in 14 games for the Eagles in 2023 and could become a valuable rotational piece. That the Chiefs elected to bring him back but not someone like Nnadi suggests the coaching staff sees a potential future, especially given his age.
For the last few seasons, Kansas City's defensive line has been among the best in the league. Tuipulotu has a chance to crack that rotation, and it'll be interesting to see how the front office approaches the position in the rest of free agency and during the draft next month.