The Kansas City Chiefs' offseason is officially underway now that the Super Bowl is over. General manager Brett Veach will have his hands full in the coming months as he figures out how the Chiefs can rebound from a disappointing 2025 season, as the list of areas for improvement is longer than it's been in a long time.
Above all else, Chiefs fans would love to see Veach address the pass rush this offseason. Kansas City's 35.0 sacks last season were tied for the seventh-fewest in the NFL, as Chris Jones was often the only reliable disruptor. It certainly didn't help that George Karlaftis took a huge step back before his $88 million extension even kicks in.
That's why Veach will likely turn to free agency to help address the Chiefs' pass-rushing woes, making Joseph Ossai someone who should be atop the team's radar next month.
Joseph Ossai Is the Perfect Chiefs Free Agent Target
Ossai has been a consistent pass-rushing presence throughout his four-year stay with the Cincinnati Bengals. He's now slated to hit the open market in March, and while competition for his services could be high, the Chiefs must find a way to be in the thick of things.
After playing his first two campaigns as a backup, Ossai worked his way into a starting role, seeing a career-high nine starts in 14 appearances last season. The increased responsibilities led to his recording five sacks, 21 solo tackles, and a pair of forced fumbles across a career-high 616 defensive snaps.
Ossai's solid showing doesn't stop there, as he also racked up a personal-best 43 pressures across 375 pass-rushing downs, per Pro Football Focus. That means 11.5% of his opportunities ended in pressure, which is noticeably above the rate of 8.9% (31 across 349) he tallied in 2024.
As impressive as that is, the fact that Ossai's 26th birthday isn't until April suggests that the best is yet to come. It'd be wise for the Chiefs to try to ride that momentum wave, especially if playing alongside Jones and under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would help take Ossai's performance to new heights.
With veteran defensive linemen Mike Pennel, Derrick Nnadi, and Charles Omenihu becoming free agents next month, this offseason is the perfect opportunity for the Chiefs to inject youth into the unit. His presence might be enough to motivate Karlaftis to step up, especially if it puts him at risk of losing snaps.
Spotrac's projections have Ossai listed at a $9.2 million annual market value, which is fair for what he brings to the table. At the same time, the Chiefs are one track to be more than $54 million over next year's salary cap, which will make signing free agents more difficult than Veach would like.
Fortunately, the 2026 salary cap is expected to rise by as much as $26.5 million, and the Chiefs can free up even more space by cutting or trading bloated contracts. It'd take some effort, but the potential rewards coming from adding Ossai to the K.C. defense are too enticing to ignore.
The Chiefs can't afford for their pass rush to be a huge concern in back-to-back seasons. That's why it's time for Veach and his braintrust to work on a plan to lure Ossai to town before another team beats them to the punch.