The Kansas City Chiefs entered training camp with exactly one proven defensive end in George Karlaftis, and the team's depth at the crucial position got even worse after second-year pass-rusher/special-teamer Ethan Downs suffered a torn ACL in the team's first training camp practice.
Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest reported the news via social media on Tuesday, July 28.
"Chiefs DE Ethan Downs [tore] the ACL in his left knee, per source," Derrick wrote on X. "Downs was a strong candidate to make the roster as depth at edge-rusher as well as a multiple-phase special teams player. He and R Mason Thomas were teammates at Oklahoma."
Downs appeared in just one game for the Chiefs last season as an undrafted rookie, recording 11 snaps on defense and doubling that total on special teams (22 snaps).
That said, he entered late July as a member of the third stringers and would have had a chance to get on the field by competing for work with 2025 third-round pick Ashton Gillotte and Felix Anudike-Uzomah, a first-rounder in 2023. FAU missed all of last season with a hamstring injury and has started just three games and produced three total sacks in his career.
With Downs now off the board and legitimate questions about what the team might expect from Gillotte in Year 2 and Anudike-Uzomah entering the final season of his rookie contract, the Chiefs are prime candidates to add one of the several veteran edge-rushers who remain available in free agency.
Multiple quality options available to Chiefs at defensive end including five-time Pro Bowler Joey Bosa, and seven-time All-Pro Von Miller
Kansas City can pick from a half dozen quality options to add a potential starter and/or a pass-rush specialist from the free-agent market if the team acts quickly.
Among the most recognizable options is seven-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion Von Miller. Miller, 37, spent last season with the Washington Commanders, where he amassed nine sacks on 420 defensive snaps.
Another potential choice is Joey Bosa, a five-time Pro Bowler who produced five sacks and a league-leading five forced fumbles with the Buffalo Bills in 2025. Bosa is considering retirement after a 10-year run in the NFL, but the opportunity to work as a specialist exclusively on pass-rushing downs for a potential contender in Kansas City might be enough to draw him back to the gridiron for his age-31 campaign.
Also still on the market as of this morning are Kyle Van Noy, Jadeveon Clowny, and Haason Reddick, among several others. Were the regular season to begin today, the Chiefs would have Karlaftis, Anudike-Uzomah, Thomas, and Gillotte as their top foursome of edge-rushers in some order.
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