The defense of the Kansas City Chiefs has thrived most under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo when it has a veteran leader in the secondary, specifically at safety.
In 2026, that player will be Alohi Gilman, a free agent signed this spring after six seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers and half of the 2025 season with the Baltimore Ravens. He has 51 career starts to his name, compared to just 37 career starts combined between his new teammates at safety, Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks.
That said, all
37 of the incumbent duo’s starts have come in Kansas City, and Gilman has yet to take anything close to a live rep in Spagnuolo’s defense. He acknowledged the fact during a press conference on Thursday, speaking with reporters via video call about his assimilation process.
“It’s a blank slate, so I’m just focused on learning,” Gilman started. “Being able to gather the information, execute it and make the mistakes as you need to, and then correct them, then keep building and keep stacking… [this is] the biggest amount of volume that I’ve had in terms of a defensive scheme, so it’s a lot more extra time we have to put in… making a lot of mistakes, I’ve made a bunch, and I’m going to keep making them.”
Gilman’s self-awareness plays into what the Chiefs’ defensive coaching staff is seeking in a key starter in its secondary. Spagnuolo’s scheme has been molded over years of experience and is implemented by a group of loyal assistants who give off a cohesive vibe that Gilman is picking up on.
“This is probably the best group of, in terms of staff, teachers that I’ve been around,” Gilman admitted.
“You look at how long they’ve been with Spags,” Gilman continued later. “You understand that they are very particular with the way Spags’ system is run, so the teaching has to be a specific way… by challenging. You’re not going to build someone by just giving it one step, one piece; you have to give them slow chunks that will allow them to see the whole vision.”
It hasn’t been easy to get all the rules and tidbits down, but that’s what is fueling the 28-year-old safety at this time.
“I’m a learner, so I’m enjoying it,” Gilman continued. “Some of it pisses me off… because it’s a lot and I’m going through this transition phase. It pissed me off in a good way, just because I’m making mistakes and I’m growing and learning.”
It’s the players that make Gilman feel the strength of Kansas City’s winning culture, as well. He talked about his teammates’ nearly perfect attendance during Phase 1 of the Chiefs’ offseason.
“There has been pretty much everyone here, which is always a good sign on a winning team,” Gilman said. “I’d say the guys are bought in. It’s just spending time in the building, outside the building, building the relationships… it takes time, and everyone’s at different stages of their lives. It’s a different dynamic in the NFL… the group of guys I’ve been around has been great.
As the players grow together on the field, Gilman has leaned on leaders like linebacker Nick Bolton to learn how to correct mistakes on the fly.
“It’s not just the coaches, the players will tell me,” Gilman shared. “Nick Bolton will say, ‘This is the reason why, Spags likes it like this, this is the verbiage, this is what the purpose is.’”
“In a way, it pisses me off,” Gilman said. “But it’s a good thing because you have to make those mistakes and I’m going to be making them until we get to the games… I’m all full-go, I’m going to make every mistake possible and continue to grow and learn.”
It’s hard to desire any other kind of mentality from a newly-acquired player: enough self-awareness to understand he needs to learn from everyone around him, despite being the most experienced player in his position room. Chiefs Kingdom will hope Gilman can make all his mistakes this summer, rather than the fall.
