Former Chiefs Standout Shining With New Team

Former Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. appears to be shining with the New Orleans Saints, drawing rave reviews from his new head coach Dennis Allen.

Speaking to the media during summer workouts, Allen revealed his excitement for the two-time Super Bowl champion to join the roster. Gay is expected to start at linebacker for the Saints after emerging as a valuable weapon with the Chiefs over the last several seasons.

The 2020 second-round pick was a valuable member of the NFL's best defense last year and can help remake New Orleans' unit.

Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen Heaps Praise on Willie Gay Jr.

Asked about Gay and his progress with the Saints, Allen said, "There's two things really that stand out: his enthusiasm and his energy...and his speed stands out to me."

Allen said the team planned to lean on those characteristics, all of which were obvious with the Chiefs, especially in the 2023-24 season. Gay helped ensure the defense didn't miss a beat when Nick Bolton went down with an injury and he's clearly proven to be a quality defender.

"Coming into a new system, he's still learning what he's going to be asked to do so there's a little bit of a learning curve with that," Allen continued. "But the guy comes in and works his tail off every single day and has a great attitude about playing the game of football. I'm excited about watching him grow and watching him improve."

Kansas City ultimately chose to re-sign Drue Tranquill instead of Gay, though that's more about Tranquill's unique fit in Steve Spagnuolo's defense than anything else. In Gay's four years with the Chiefs, he accumulated 223 tackles, five sacks, four interceptions and fumble coveries, and two forced fumbles.

His versatility should boost New Orleans' defense and we'll see these teams square off in Week 4 of the upcoming season. Chiefs fans will fondly remember Gay no matter what, so it's neat to see his new team embracing him just like Kansas City did.

More Kansas City Chiefs News: