The Kansas City Chiefs will be busy shoppers during free agency week, and there’s a good chance they’ll look to add to their pass rush. While the Chiefs and their fans may be focused on the opening of the legal tampering window on Monday morning, they may have also forgotten about the possibility of a trade.
That was made apparent when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Dallas Cowboys acquired Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 draft. Gary is coming off a disappointing finish to his time in Green Bay. But at 28 years old, he could have been a strong addition for the Chiefs at a cost that would have been palatable ahead of the start of free agency.
Adding Rashan Gary Would Have Been a Strong Start to the Chiefs’ Free Agency Week
Gary’s overall numbers would have made him an intriguing addition to the Kansas City defense. Over his seven seasons in Green Bay, the Michigan product racked up 46.5 sacks and had strong analytics last season, with 60 pressures and 7.5 sacks on 446 pass-rushing snaps according to Pro Football Focus.
To put that into context, Gary would have been one of the top edge rushers on the Chiefs last season, trailing only Karlaftis for the team lead with 60 pressures. Gary’s 11.9% pass-rush win rate would have also been second to Karlaftis in that category.
While Gary’s $19.5 million cap hit would have been an obstacle, the Chiefs could have fit that into their budget with $24 million in cap space entering free agency per Over The Cap, and a fourth-round pick would have been a minimal cost for a team that has drafted Jalen Royals, Jaden Hicks, and Chamarri Conner in that round in recent seasons.
There’s also the concern of Gary’s performance in the second half of last season. Although he started strong with 7.5 sacks and 26 pressures in his first seven games, he didn’t record a sack or a tackle for loss in the final 10 games despite logging 27 pressures on 183 pass-rushing snaps.
Even with his flaws, Gary would have been a solid start to a week that represents the bulk of the Chiefs’ offseason moves. Giving up the 109th overall pick in the draft would have been loose change for a team that picked up first- (29th overall), fifth- (168th overall) and sixth-round (210th overall) picks after trading Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams last week and could have given them depth for a group that currently has Ashton Gillotte listed as a starter.
It also would have been a cheaper alternative to an exploding edge rusher market that saw Maxx Crosby get traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks and could see other teams make splash moves like signing Jaelan Phillips of the Philadelphia Eagles or trading for Jonathan Greenard of the Minnesota Vikings in the coming days.
Perhaps the Chiefs have something bigger up their sleeves, such as signing New Orleans Saints star Cameron Jordan after passing on Gary. But for the opportunity and cost, Kansas City may have missed the chance to boost its pass rush hours before the unofficial start to free agency.