Late in the evening on Thursday, March 20, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that the Kansas City Chiefs are re-signing defensive lineman Charles Omenihu on a one-year deal worth up to $7 million.
Fans on X, formerly Twitter, reacted to the news. Daniel Harms of the Draft Network wrote, “Love to see this. His market wasn’t as busy as he wanted with the injury interrupting his ability to play a full season. Now he’s back in KC to hopefully get that full season. Welcome back.”
Another person wrote, “Charles Omenihu for a deal that is ‘up to’ 7 million dollars will return that value to the Kansas City Chiefs ten fold…stay healthy 90 and go get you a pay day next offseason after killing it rushing next to Chris Jones.”
“LET’S FREAKING GOOOOOOO so freaking glad to see @charless_94 staying in the kingdom,” another person wrote. “Bro you are going to feast this year. A full off-season to ramp up. O-lines don’t stand a chance!!”
Another person explained how Omenihu re-signing with Kansas City impacts the draft, writing, “The final piece of the puzzle before the draft. Absolutely now gives us the opportunity to take best player available and not be held to a specific position. Don’t leave [Luther] Burden on the board.”
Charles Omenihu Helps Solidify Defensive Line Before NFL Draft
Omenihu, 27, originally joined the Chiefs on a two-year, $16 million deal in 2023. Though he was productive when he was on the field during the last two seasons, his lack of availability is why Kansas City was able to retain him on a one-year deal this offseason.
Over the last two seasons, Omenihu missed a total of 18 games, which included 17 regular season games and the 2023 Super Bowl. In the games he did play, he registered 51 total quarterback pressures (35 hurries, 10 sacks, six hits), 25 stops, and five forced fumbles, according to Pro Football Focus.
As a player who is capable of playing along the edge as well as the interior, re-signing Omenihu fills a roster hole for the Chiefs ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. The team needed some extra help along the edge as well as an interior option to plug in alongside Chris Jones. They now have that thanks to the reunion with Omenihu.
Chiefs Labeled as Team That Has ‘Taken a Step Back’
One of the latest ESPN pieces was one in which the network’s experts debated the best and worst signings during free agency so far. When asked which teams had taken a step backward since the beginning of free agency, NFL analyst Aaron Schatz named the Chiefs and explained his reasoning behind his choice.
“I understand franchising Trey Smith and the domino effect that forced the trade of Joe Thuney, but Thuney is still a really hard player to replace,” Schatz wrote on March 21. “Justin Reid is another real loss in the secondary. It would be smart to draft a cornerback in the first couple of rounds who can compete with Kristian Fulton and Jaylen Watson for a starting job on the outside. This could then allow Trent McDuffie to play more in the slot again, which in turn would free Chamarri Conner to replace Reid at safety.”
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