The Kansas City Chiefs have been active this offseason when it comes to rebuilding their roster after missing out on the playoffs entirely in 2025. Patrick Mahomes‘ health will obviously play a big role in determining just how much success this team enjoys next year, but that hasn’t stopped the front office from building up several key areas of their roster.
One spot that saw a big addition in free agency was safety, where the team signed former Baltimore Ravens safety Alohi Gilman to a three-year, $24.75 million contract. Gilman will immediately fill a big role on defense for Kansas City, and if you ask general manager Brett Veach, he thinks the Chiefs’ new starting safety could fill a similar role that two of the team’s former players used to fill.
Brett Veach Compares Alohi Gilman to Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid
During the Chiefs’ recent dynastic run, they have benefited from having a star safety leading the way at the backend of their defense. Guys like Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid recently filled that position for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s group, but last season, nobody really took on that job for K.C.
The hope is that Gilman can take over at this spot for Kansas City. In 2025, Gilman split time with the Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers, but that didn’t stop him from putting together the best season of his career. Gilman finished the year with 90 tackles, nine pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one touchdown. That was enough to convince the Chiefs to sign him in free agency.
A former sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Gilman has made himself a valuable player due to his versatility. With Kansas City, though, Gilman figures to play in a deeper-lying role at the back of the defense, similar to how he was employed most recently with Baltimore. Veach believes that, if all goes according to plan, Gilman can make a similar impact to what Mathieu and Reid have done in previous years.
“Over the years, having a Tyrann Mathieu and then having a Justin Reid — just having a cerebral player there that sees the field, can be a leader back there, get everyone lined up (is important),” Veach said, via Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star. “I think (Gilman) fits that mold, and when you had success — you had a guy like the Badger and you had a guy like Justin Reid back there — Alohi fits that bill.”
Brett Veach, Chiefs Turn Attention to 2026 NFL Draft
GettyKansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.
Gilman has shown himself well when given an uptick in snaps over the past few seasons, and the Chiefs believe he can turn himself into a star in their defense. Moving forward, Gilman is going to take on more responsibility at the back of the team’s secondary, but it’s clear that Veach and company believe in him.
With most of Kansas City’s free agency work done, the team is turning its attention to the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, where it is armed with a pair of first-round picks. How the Chiefs use these picks is very important, and you can bet all eyes will be on Veach and the rest of the team’s war room to see how it operates on the first night of the draft.
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