![Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) rushes for yards against Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Jerry Tillery (99) and defensive end George Karlaftis (56) during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/220/01kca4m6q6raj1zgmggp.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) rushes for yards against Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Jerry Tillery (99) and defensive end George Karlaftis (56) during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]")
While the majority of the Kansas City Chiefs' frustrations have been with failing offensive and special teams units, the defense hasn't been exempt from its own issues. One example of this is defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, who was signed to provide much-needed depth to the Kansas City defensive line. So far, though, the production has been frustrating, and there have been clear holes in Tillery's game. However, the defender isn't completely to blame for the struggles with the team's usage of the lineman, clearly sparking some level of understanding. When Tillery was at his best during his time with the Minnesota Vikings, he was used more consistently on the outside.
Kansas City has opted to use the veteran as a DT with only two snaps on the outside so far this season, compared to 67 with Minnesota. Furthering this, Tillery almost played as many snaps as a DT (183) as last year (186), despite playing 137 fewer defensive snaps overall this year. This points to a familiar recent theme for the Chiefs, a refusal to think outside the box and an acceptance of failure.
This doesn't absolve Tillery of his recent struggles or the fact that he isn't playing well on the inside. What it does point out, though, is a continued theme of organizational failure due to a refusal to take risks. It's as if the Chiefs' decision-makers are afraid to buck the norm or conventional way of thinking.
Chiefs Deserve High Level of Blame for Jerry Tillery's 2025 Struggles
Making this decision age all the worse is the fact that the Chiefs are firmly in the bottom half of the league with 26 sacks on the season. The Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, and New Orleans Saints all have more sacks on the season than Kansas City. This reinforces that the Chiefs desperately could use a more effective edge presence or the potential mismatch that Tillery has the potential to provide.
Instead, the Chiefs are using his size in a failed attempt to plug up the middle or generate interior pressure. This isn't to say that the veteran doesn't have some value as a rotational interior presence, but rather isn't putting Tillery in the best possible position to succeed.
As odd as it is to criticize a coaching staff that has won two of the last three Super Bowls and all three AFC title games, it is the reality of what this season has become. On both sides of the ball, all across the roster, there is a seeming apathy and refusal to challenge the status quo. This has resulted in a frustrating year of consistently poor decisions and an inability to best utilize the talent on your roster.
While this doesn't lessen Tillery's role in his struggles this season, it does go a long way in explaining what has gone wrong with the defender as well as what the Chiefs must do to fix it. If Tillery is going ot continue to play a contributing role, Kansas City must give the lineman more outside snaps in the final weeks of the 2025 season.