Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo seems to always have a tried-and-true safety to lean on when assembling the defense in St. Joe at training camp. Veteran Alohi Gilman, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, is that player ahead of the 2026 season.
Throughout the offseason, Gilman has been open about the learning curve he is experiencing in his first year with the Chiefs. After the first practice of this year’s camp, he acknowledged he is gaining ground while
putting his new setting into perspective.
“The coaches here are great; they are phenomenal,” Gilman said to reporters at the podium. “I’ve never been around this steady of a group coaching-wise who has this much experience and wisdom. The connection is there, easily, where they’re able to get all the questions that I have, which is a lot, taken care of.”
Gilman’s side note on the volume of questions he has for the Chiefs’ coaching staff was a serious point.
“Every chance I got, I was trying to get an answer to a question,” Gilman explained about his offseason. “I would meet with coaches before, after, call them late at night as much as I could to learn because coach Spags expects a lot out of us and I’ve got a lot of work to go.”
“I’ve got a big jump ahead I’m going to take.”
Ahead of his seventh NFL season, Gilman understands that the quickest way to assimilate in Kansas City is to build chemistry with his teammates in the secondary. When he elaborated on that point, he pointed out a unique trait of the Chiefs’ young defensive backfield.
“This group is a little bit more quiet, I’d say,” Gilman said. “Compared to other defensive-back personalities that I’ve been around.
Gilman alluded to the fact that it has been hard to get some of his new teammates out of their shells, but he is making the effort to help them do so.
“I would take them out to dinner every week during OTAs… little stuff like that,” Gilman shared. “They’re a great group; I love every single one of them, they’ve welcomed me with open arms, and [they’re] just hard workers, straight to the point, kind of like me: no nonsense, just get to work and get out there.”
While it’s clear Gilman is the general leader of the Chiefs’ secondary, he is still growing into the role of a “vocal leader” that players like Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid excelled at in their respective times with Kansas City.
“I’ve evolved in that,” Gilman said when asked about vocal leadership. “I wouldn’t say I’m the loudest, but I feel like when I speak, my words mean a lot; [I’m] trying to be as genuine as possible.”
“Be a friend, be a brother,“ Gilman continued. ”That’s kind of how I approach it.”
It remains to be seen whether Gilman can fill the shoes of Mathieu, Reid or even now Cincinnati Bengals safety Bryan Cook as the lead man of the defense. Until then, Gilman is making it known that he is working hard on leading his position group.
