The Kansas City Chiefs’ secondary is getting younger, but those players are ready to grow up.
With veterans departing during the offseason, players who were once learning behind established leaders are now being asked to lead themselves. Few embody that transition more than safety Chamarri Conner and second-year cornerback Nohl Williams.
For Conner, the change has brought a new responsibility.
“Definitely changed my mentality,” Conner said after Tuesday’s practice. “We’ve got a lot of younger guys that
came in. We’ve got a lot of older veteran guys that are still learning. I’m kind of in that middle piece to help guys out, kind of bridge that gap.”
That role fits where Conner finds himself entering his third NFL season.
After spending much of his first two years moving between safety and the Nickel position, Conner expects to settle into a more defined role this season.
“I’m very comfortable playing safety,” Conner said. “It’s exciting to be in one spot. I’m always ready to do whatever the team needs, but I’m excited for this year. I’m excited for this season.”
While his responsibilities have become more focused on the field, they’ve expanded off of it. Conner now finds himself helping younger teammates navigate defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, while still continuing to grow himself as an experienced player in the system.
The result, he believes, is a defensive back room motivated to improve.
“I think we’re a group full of guys that’s eager to learn, eager to get better every day and a group of hungry guys,” Conner said. “So, I’m excited.”
Williams is experiencing a different kind of growth.
Last summer, the rookie was trying to prove he belonged.
This year, he knows what NFL training camp demands.
“The best thing I have is experience,” Williams said. “I know what it’s supposed to look like. Just trying to stack days while I’m out here.”
That experience extends well beyond understanding the playbook.
Williams said his first NFL season taught him the physical toll that comes with playing meaningful defensive snaps.
“Getting 20 snaps is way different than getting 40 snaps,” Williams said. “Even one play. It can just be one play, and something can happen. It is a 100 percent injury-rate game. You’ve got to take care of your body at all costs.”
That lesson has changed how he prepares for his second season.
“I do have a better understanding,” Williams said. “I am blessed to be in this position and to take it one day at a time.”
Together, Conner and Williams represent two different stages of the Chiefs’ evolving secondary.
Conner is stepping into a leadership role as one of the defense’s more experienced voices, while Williams is leaning on the lessons learned during his rookie season to take the next step in his development.
For a defense replacing veteran leadership, those developments could prove just as important as any offseason addition. The Chiefs don’t simply need talented defensive backs. They need players ready to lead, players prepared for the grind of a 17-game season and players capable of helping the next wave develop behind them.
Based on the early days of training camp, Conner and Williams appear ready to embrace those responsibilities.
