Ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2026 season, there does feel like one hole remains along the line of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s treatment.
The defensive tackle room is deep. The signing of nose tackle Khyiris Tonga allows for the developing talents of Omar Norman-Lott and Peter Woods to be strong pieces of the rotation rather than true every-down starters next to defensive tackle Chris Jones. That foursome is strong, and a fifth wouldn’t be asked to do much week to week outside of filling
in case of injury.
On the edge, the defensive end needs another starting-capable player. That’s not to put down the talent of defensive ends Ashton Gillotte and rookie R Mason Thomas behind George Karlaftis, but similar to Norman-Lott and Woods, each would be best if not asked to be the every-down starter opposite of Karlaftis. The team only has fourth-year defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah behind this trio.
Not only that, one injury could make things really hard on the unit as a whole. In Spags’ scheme, having reliable players on the edge goes a long way towards how successful it is throughout a game and through the season.
It seems like the Chiefs could use a similarly impactful player on the edge to Tonga, someone who can be relied on to eat up snaps on early or neutral downs, setting up the young, fresh talent to do the work on pass downs and late-half situations.
Now that old friend Mike Danna has signed with the Buffalo Bills, the team would be signing an external free agent if there is one to bring in.
There would need to be some work done with cap space — we project the team to have $6.9 million currently to work with before signing most of the draft class — but here are four veterans who are available in free agency that could fit that bill:
Cameron Jordan
The all-time New Orleans Saints defensive end is the highest-priced player on this list, because it doesn’t feel like Kansas City will swing above his projected average salary of $6.8 million, per Spotrac. Former Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa is projected to make nearly $14 million, but he could be considered depending on the number.
Jordan is a strong fit in Kansas City and could become a potential three-down defensive end, rotating with Gillotte on early and pass-rush downs to solidify the line. He is nearly 37 years old, but last season, he took the second-most snaps among Saints edge defenders and produced 10.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
He has also played at least 16 games in all 15 of his NFL seasons.
Jadeveon Clowney
The former No. 1 overall pick has long been a potential signing to fill this kind of void in Kansas City, given his playing style at a listed height and weight of 6 feet 5 inches and 266 pounds.
At 33 years old, Clowney is coming off a season with the Dallas Cowboys in which he amassed 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, along with four passes defended, over 13 games and six starts. It was the lowest snap count he has totaled (372) since his rookie season, but he also accumulated the second-most Stops (27) he has registered in one season since 2020.
Spotrac estimates his average salary at roughly $5.7 million.
Derek Barnett
After a few years as the third wheel to arguably the NFL’s best edge-rushing duo in the Houston Texans’ Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, Barnett is a free agent who is projected to demand $4.4 million, according to Spotrac.
At 29 years old in 2025, Barnett totaled five sacks and eight tackles for loss, doing the dirty work while Anderson and Hunter dominated the production on the edge.
In terms of a power-first player that can set the edge and collapse the pocket, Barnett fits the mold of what Spagnuolo likes to have at defensive end.
A.J. Epenesa
Once the 54th-overall pick by the Bills in the 2020 NFL Draft, Epenesa has always looked the part of a 4-3 defensive end in Spags’ scheme, because former Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott ran a similar front during his time.
Over six years with the Bills, Epenesa was a steady presence, but only a season-long starter for the 2024 season. That year, he hit the six-sack mark for the third consecutive campaign, along with a career-high eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
In 2025, Epenesa regressed to a “rotational” role but still played the third-most snaps on run plays among defensive ends and batted down five passes as a pass rusher.
The Cleveland Browns agreed to a contract with Epenesa earlier this offseason, but the team backed out of the one-year deal after his physical. That has obviously impacted his market, but Spotrac estimates his average salary at $6.4 million.
Do you agree or disagree with the type of defensive end needed in Kansas City? Which free agent would you want the team to target? Let us know in the comments.
