It's been weeks of waiting for the Kansas City Chiefs fans for the team to add another valuable pass-rusher, and the day has finally come with the addition of an old friend. Veteran Emmanuel Ogbah has officially returned to the Chiefs after his one-year stint in 2019, where he piled up 5.5 sacks in 9 games before tearing his pectoral muscle in Week 10, ending his season.
Ogbah was still on the roster that year, so he did, in fact, receive a Super Bowl ring and all the applause that came with it. But perhaps his main reason for coming back to KC is the fact that he views this as an opportunity to be on the field, provided the Chiefs find themselves back in the big game this upcoming campaign.
After his time with the Chiefs, Ogbah went on to sign a $60-plus million contract with the Miami Dolphins, where he racked up 29.5 sacks, over 160 total tackles, and just over 70 quarterback hits in 73 games played. Ogbah spent last year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where his field time was limited to below 40% of snaps, and he managed just half a sack.
Emmanuel Ogbah's Chiefs reunion should boost KC's pass-rush
The Chiefs' defensive end room has been sparse to say the least. George Karlaftis remains an entrenched and trusted starter, but aside from him, it's a lot of projection and potentially false hope. Second-year man Ashton Gillotte suffered a hamstring injury in training camp a couple of weeks ago and still hasn't practiced since. He was the supposed starter opposite Karlaftis for 2026.
Rookie R Mason Thomas has been impressing coaches with his burst off the line, quickness, and athleticism, but there is only so much that can be expected from a rookie in the NFL. And fourth-year draft bust Felix Anudike-Uzomah enters a make-or-break season in which, if we're being real, it likely won't end in him having too big an impact.
Ogbah's return is certainly not the best avenue the Chiefs could have gone if they had tried to add to the edge room sooner. There were options like Rueben Bain in the NFL Draft, who general manager Brett Veach could have picked instead of CB Mansoor Delane, who is steadily increasing his participation in practice.
Veach also had the chance to sign big-name free agents on the open market, but to be fair, the price points seemed a tad ridiculous, with Jaelan Phillips and Boye Mafe earning much more than they are probably worth. Ogbah may just be the latest retread signing that KC loves to try and that rarely ever works out.
However, the Chiefs don't need Ogbah to be the guy who was on pace for double-digit sacks in 2019. At 32 years old, he's on the wrong side of 30, but still has some juice, and at 6'4", 275 lbs, with over 35-inch arms, Ogbah is another presence for offenses to deal with on the field and is versatile along the defensive line. We'll see how it goes, but this could be a sneaky solid addition for Veach as the season nears.
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