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Chiefs Fan No More
“They took an edge rusher before me. So, it’s good,” Howell said. “I grew up a Kansas City Chiefs fan, but at this point, as I said, I’m just thankful to be a Bengal so we will see them whenever we see them … I’m very happy to be a Bengal, and wouldn’t want to be a Kansas City Chief at this point.”
A fun note to start his Cincinnati career, as Howell is very thankful
to be a Bengal.
“I think it would be a good experience,” Howell said about sacking Chiefs passer Patrick Mahomes. “I’m trying to come in and make a positive impact on everything. So, if it comes down to me sacking Patrick Mahomes, so be it.”
“We’re making progress,” Hunt said. “We have a design competition that’s ongoing between MANICA and Populous, and I would hope in the next several months that we’d be able to make a decision on the lead architect.”
Both of the firms are based in Kansas City, MANICA on the Kansas side and Populous on the Missouri side.
MANICA has been working on the new Nissan Stadium in Nashville that will be home to the Titans, and worked on Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders. Populous has been wrapping up the new Highmark Stadium for the Buffalo Bills.
Hunt did underscore that “our thought process at this time is that it would be an enclosed dome.”
Speaking on a podcast in September 2024, Thomas explained the origin of his first name. No, it’s not a typo on his birth certificate. It’s entirely intentional. All the men’s names on his mother’s side of the family start with an “R.”
“It doesn’t stand for anything,” Thomas said. “Some people put a period there (after the R). My first name is R Mason. There’s a space in between the capital R and the capital M. My mom didn’t want me to be an R name, like Richard or Raymond. But on her side of the family, [there’s] a lot of R names. Her dad, her grandfather, my uncle, her brother, even his son’s name starts with an R. She didn’t want an R name, but she wanted to keep the R going, so she made it R Mason.”
So, she wanted to go against the grain, but kept the tradition alive all the same. Rest assured, he’s the only one with the name “R Mason.” However, if his time in Kansas City goes well, there might be some Chiefs fans just crazy enough to play the copycat game.
Kayvon Thibodeaux trade rumors create fascinating option for Chiefs defense | Arrowhead Addict
The draft tension can be found in the fact that the Chiefs passed on taking Miami’s Rueben Bain—or any other edge rusher, for that matter. It places tremendous pressure on any other rookies taken, but as it turns out, there might be another option. Because NFL reporter Jordan Schultz has word that the New York Giants are shopping Kayvon Thibodeaux.
How interested should the Chiefs be in Kayvon Thibodeaux to help solve their edge issues?
Thibodeaux came into the league as the fifth overall pick in 2022, a highly recruited pass rusher out of Oregon who the Giants were counting on to anchor their defense. While he delivered some production— 21 sacks, 127 tackles, and 26 tackles for loss over his first three seasons—the Giants continued to make significant investments as Thibodeaux struggled to stay healthy and/or dominate in the ways envisioned. Then in 2025, a shoulder injury cut his season short at 10 games, and he managed just 2.5 sacks.
Schultz says that the New Orleans Saints are in play as an interested party, The Chiefs could be as well, given the positional need. Right now, Thibodeaux has one year left on his deal, worth just under $15 million, so it’s clear any new team would likely want to work out a long-term deal. But his recent health concerns could make him a bargain given the risk involved. Or it might motivate him in a contract year, which would be even better for a team like K.C.
In the Chiefs’ 2017 Wild Card playoff game at home against the Tennessee Titans, Johnson rocketed untouched on a second-quarter blitz and blasted quarterback Marcus Mariota.
The ball came loose before Mariota hit the turf and the Chiefs recovered it. But instead of Chiefs ball, late in the second quarter with a 14-0 lead, the Titans maintained possession because referee Jeff Triplette had blown the play dead during the sack, ruling forward progress.
The call wasn’t reviewable.
“That was a great play,” Johnson said Friday. “And you wonder, ‘How did they call that?’ Yeah, I still think about that.”
Around the NFL
Jonathan Greenard traded to Eagles, lands $100 million deal | ESPN
The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Jonathan Greenard in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings on Friday and agreed to a lucrative new deal with the star linebacker.
The Eagles sent two third-round picks — the No. 98 selection in this year’s draft and a third-rounder next year — to the Vikings for Greenard, who then agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension with Philadelphia, his agents told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The new deal also includes $50 million in guaranteed money, according to his agents.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio delivered an unequivocal message to anyone potentially interested in trading for Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins: Don’t bother.
Caserio was asked about a trade rumor that NFL teams had made inquiries regarding Collins, the Texans’ most dangerous offensive skill player.
“Look, teams call teams all the time to ask about players,” Caserio said in response to a question from KPRC 2. “We’re not trading Nico Collins. Whoever reported it, whatever information they had, I mean, they can take it and shove it. We’re not trading Nico.”
Cowboys acquire Dee Winters in trade with 49ers | DallasCowboys.com
The Dallas Cowboys entered Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft without a second-round pick, but they weren’t willing to sit around and wait to go onto the clock with the 92nd-overall pick in the third round, so they struck a trade with the San Francisco 49ers to acquire linebacker Dee Winters.
Winters helps the Cowboys check off the box at linebacker, something they’ve been trying to do since the start of free agency, and marks the second trade with the 49ers in only a matter of weeks — the first being to send defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to Santa Clara in exchange for the aforementioned third-round pick.
The 49ers received the 152nd-overall pick (5th-round in 2026) in exchange for Winters.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Grading the Chiefs’ pick of R Mason Thomas at No. 40 in the NFL Draft
When the name of the Chiefs’ pick next to “EDGE” was “R Mason Thomas” rather than “Zion Young” or “Gabe Jacas,” I was truly shocked.
The defensive end position in Kansas City has always had a long, powerful mold under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and the personnel staff has rarely strayed from Spags’ vision for his edge defenders.
When the front office has, it felt like the coaching staff was unwilling to adjust, like not finding a way to utilize edge rusher Josh Uche during his time in Kansas City, or the lack of edge-rushing opportunities for linebacker Leo Chenal despite proving to play from the trenches on run plays.
At 6 feet 2 inches tall and 241 pounds with 31 3/4-inch arms, R Mason Thomas is a changeup, and it’s the pitch the Chiefs’ pass rush has been missing for years. The team’s edge-rushing group is still thin, but the ceiling of its impact rose with the addition of a speed-first pass rusher. The depth can be filled out by veterans.
Grade: B+
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