We're off and running with roster cutdown day, and the Kansas City Chiefs are wasting no time in delivering some surprises, cutting some veterans while investing in youth to prepare for the future.
How the safety room will look has been a big topic of conversation during the offseason now that Justin Reid is with the New Orleans Saints. Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner, and Jaden Hicks all expect to factor heavily into the rotation, though there isn't that experienced veteran leader any longer.
To alleviate that, the Chiefs reunited with Mike Edwards in April. In a surprising turn of events on Tuesday, Kansas City reversed course and instead will go to battle with the three younger players.
A surprise: The #Chiefs are releasing veteran safety Mike Edwards, per source. pic.twitter.com/aZLYsLFSak
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 26, 2025
Chiefs Release S Mike Edwards in Surprise Tuesday Move
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Kansas City released Edwards early Tuesday morning. His return lasted just a few months, but a brutal preseason effort left the Chiefs no choice. The 29-year-old started five games for the team in 2023, though it was obvious that guys like Hicks and Cook were better suited for the defense.
Originally a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Edwards spent the first four years of his career there before joining the Chiefs, notching 51 tackles while surrendering just a 77.7 passer rating in coverage when targeted. He was a solid rotational safety who could start when needed, though he seems to have lost a step and fallen short this summer.
It's not clear which player will be kept instead of Edwards, though we already know that undrafted linebacker Cooper McDonald made the team. It's possible that McDonald took the spot and Kansas City goes into the year with just three safeties, but there's also a chance that someone like Glendon Miller snags a spot unexpectedly.
For now, fans should expect a heavy dose of Hicks, Conner, and Cook. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has sung Conner's praises all summer, and Nazeeh Johnson may slide over at times, too.
Either way, it's a new era at the position for Kansas City. For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, they won't have an established veteran now that Reid is gone and Tyrann Mathieu is retired. Whether or not the defense remains among the NFL's best will largely depend on this trio of safeties, and here's hoping the Chiefs don't wind up regretting cutting Edwards loose.