The latest
2026 NFL offseason grades: Draft, trades, more moves by team | ESPN
Kansas City Chiefs: C+
Biggest move: Trading CB Trent McDuffie to the Rams
Move I liked: The McDuffie trade
Move I disliked: Trading up to draft CB Mansoor DelaneFollowing a playoff-less 2025 season that ended with a Patrick Mahomes torn ACL, the Chiefs spent the 2026 offseason trying to set up a rebound — for this season and beyond. The biggest changes came at cornerback, an area that has excelled in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. Two years ago, they traded L’Jarius Sneed, betting on their ability to replace him, and they repeated that process this offseason.
Kansas City traded McDuffie to the Rams and let Jaylen Watson — a former seventh-round pick who turned into a valuable cornerback — also go to the Rams as a free agent. McDuffie is a legitimate star, but the Chiefs got a good return — first-, fifth- and sixth-round picks in 2026 and a third-round pick next year.
As much as it stung to lose McDuffie, it was worth it. The Rams were surrendering more than a first-round pick’s worth of value for the right to pay McDuffie a market rate. The Chiefs get the benefit of the surplus value from the draft capital and the money saved from not paying McDuffie. Those resources can be used elsewhere on their roster. Watson signed a more reasonable deal that Kansas City could have considered matching, but the Chiefs are tight on cap space, so it was reasonable to allocate those resources elsewhere.
They allocated them in an interesting way, moving up to pick another corner. The Chiefs traded picks Nos. 9, 74 and 148 for No. 6 to select Delane. He was the best cornerback in the draft, but considering the Chiefs’ prowess in developing corners, dealing to move higher in the top 10 to select one seems like bad value. There was some probability that Delane could have fallen to No. 9, too. At safety, the Chiefs lost Bryan Cook in free agency but added Alohi Gilman for several million less per year than what Cook received in Cincinnati.
One outstanding question for every team as the NFL’s summer break begins | The Athletic
Kansas City Chiefs
Did they do enough to help out quarterback Patrick Mahomes?
The Chiefs’ 6-11 record last season masks the fact that there were at least some good offensive moments before injuries derailed the final few weeks. Still, with Mahomes likely to be less mobile following offseason knee surgery and the team using its first four draft picks on defense, it’s at least worth wondering: Did Kansas City do enough to help out its star QB this offseason? The Chiefs’ major free-agent acquisition was Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III, but beyond that, improvement mostly needs to come from returning wideouts Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton. — Jesse Newell
Chiefs Hire Dr. Tyler Bradstreet as Team’s Vice President of Performance Psychology | The Mothership
“We are pleased to welcome Tyler as Vice President of Performance Psychology and are confident his deep experience supporting athletes and high performers at every level will be a valuable resource for our players, coaches and staff,” said Chiefs President Mark Donovan. “Expanding in-house capabilities across the full spectrum of health and wellness is a critical part of how we – and the NFL – continue to evolve. We look forward to welcoming Tyler and his family to Chiefs Kingdom.”
As a licensed psychologist and certified mental performance coach, Bradstreet will report directly to Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder and will work with the entire sports medicine and performance team to ensure the highest level of care for Chiefs players, coaches, and club staff. Bradstreet will oversee the club’s mental health and wellness strategies and will provide psychological tools and training that promote a high-performance mindset. Bradstreet is the club’s second in-house clinician in team history. In 2019, the Chiefs became one of the first teams to hire an in-house clinician.
Most recently, Bradstreet served as the Milwaukee Brewers director of performance psychology for four seasons. After joining the Brewers in 2023, Bradstreet oversaw the team’s mental health and performance services. Among his duties for the club, Bradstreet helped establish an integrated health and performance system and built out programming to ensure that psychological tools and principles were key aspects of the team’s player development and performance strategies.
Chiefs almost hired Dane Brugler before family changed everything | Arrowhead Addict
When appearing on a recent podcast episode of NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov, Brugler spoke about his history of wanting a job with an NFL team and how he’d previously spurned offers in the past. But when it came to the Chiefs, he was ready accept the job—until he couldn’t.
“So it was 2015 and I’d interviewed for a handful of teams, and it just never… either I just missed the cut or it just didn’t work out,” said Brugler. “I’d turned down another job with the Raiders at one point because it just didn’t work out—the timing. But in 2015, John Dorsey, he gave me my first interview back with the Packers, he’s now with the Chiefs and he brought me in for an interview. Still obviously had that relationship. I felt really good about this one. I really wanted to work for the Chiefs and where they were at that point—Chris Ballard was part of the organization—they just had a really healthy organization. And so, I was like, ‘This is the fit. This is what I want.’”
But there was one problem: the timeline. The Chiefs asked Brugler to report to work in late July, which just so happened to be the exact same time as the due date of his first child. Just like that, a dream opportunity to work alongside Andy Reid and an organization on the rise was at odds with the needs of a growing family.
Tyreek Hill landing spots: Chiefs reunion among best fits for injured star WR | CBS Sports
Kansas City Chiefs
This is the most obvious one, of course: a reunion with three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and future Hall of Fame coach Andy Reid. Both sides need each other. Hill needs an NFL home, and the Chiefs are hurting for playmaking at the wide receiver position.
They literally haven’t had a true No. 1 receiver since Hill last suited up for Kansas City in 2021. In his final two seasons with the Chiefs, Hill amassed more than 25% of the team’s receiving yards. Tight end Travis Kelce leads the Chiefs with a 22.7% share of Kansas City’s receiving yards since 2022, while the closest wide receiver is Rashee Rice and his 10.2% share. Rice is recovering from a knee procedure this offseason, in which the first month of his rehab occurred in a Dallas County jail following a probation violation. Hill and the Chiefs make too much sense as a match.
Around the NFL
Brendan Sorsby won’t sue NFL, will now prepare for 2027 draft | ESPN
“We have confirmed with the NFLPA and Brendan Sorsby that there will be no further litigation regarding his entry into the NFL — and that instead, Mr. Sorsby will focus on his preparation for entry into the League via the 2027 NFL Draft,” the memo reads. “For purposes of League and CBA rules, Mr. Sorsby will be considered a ‘Draft-Eligible’ player for the 2027 NFL Draft. Mr. Sorsby will not be eligible to sign an NFL Player Contract until the completion of the 2027 NFL Draft.”
After the NCAA ruled him ineligible to play because he wagered on college sports, Sorsby was issued a temporary injunction by a Texas court to clear his path to play at Texas Tech this season. But when the Big 12 filed in federal court with aims to punish Sorsby and Texas Tech, Sorsby withdrew his suit and declared for the supplemental draft.
The NFL will not discipline Sorsby for currently known prior misconduct but retains the right to investigate his conduct beyond what is in the current public filings, an NFL source told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It also reserves the right to take college misconduct into consideration in setting discipline for any future violations, the source told Rapoport.
2026 NFL season: Ranking all eight candidates to go from worst to first in division races | NFL.com
6. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have legit hope that climbing out of the gutter isn’t far off on the horizon.
Fernando Mendoza’s arrival brings promise that Vegas finally has an answer under center. If he’s not ready to start off the bat, Kirk Cousins is an ideal bridge for Klint Kubiak’s offense. With TE Brock Bowers and RB Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders have two pieces that can soar in Kubiak’s scheme. However, questions remain at receiver — and despite the addition of star center Tyler Linderbaum, the offensive line needs to prove it’s much improved from last year.
The defense added several veterans who immediately upgraded a woebegone unit. And with the Maxx Crosby trade ultimately falling apart, Vegas still has a true difference-maker off the edge. The secondary is an interesting concoction of veterans who have had up-and-down careers and rookies who could contribute right away.
I really like the foundation that has been laid in Vegas, and I believe Kubiak is a bona fide head coach who can put players in position to succeed. Yet, the roster remains thin at this stage of the rebuild — there was a reason the team initially agreed to trade Crosby for two first-rounders. Playing in a tough division does the Raiders no favors. They feel a year away from making a legit run.
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts after inking new contract: ‘There’s a lot more out there’ | NFL.com
The No. 4 overall pick in 2021, Pitts burst out of the gate, generating 1,026 receiving yards during his rookie campaign to earn a Pro Bowl nod. However, his play waned the next several seasons. Over Years 2-4, he averaged 541.6 yards a season, struggling to find consistency. However, late last season he surged, becoming a playmaker with Kirk Cousins under center. He finished the year with 928 yards and career highs in receptions (88) and touchdowns (five).
The Falcons franchise tagged Pitts early in the offseason process. There was some thought that with a new management structure and coaching staff in ATL, the club could play things out and make Pitts prove it before giving him a long-term payday. Instead, the brass showed confidence in the TE’s upward trajectory, signing him to a three-year, $54 million contract, which he officially signed on Monday. The $18 million-per-year contract slides in third among tight ends, behind George Kittle ($19.1 million) and Trey McBride ($19 million).
Pitts said he was prepared to play under the franchise tag before the Falcons stepped up to lock him down long term.
“It was more so, ‘OK, that was my opportunity that Atlanta picked it back up to give me another year to showcase,’” Pitts said. “And then it was just time to squeeze the rag and just grind. I was fortunate I got the call and the interest in the long term, and when it happened, it was pretty great.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs 53-man roster bubble breakdown: How many players feel locked in?
For the defense, the total of 16 “locks” combines with 15 on offense to make 31 of the 50 spots needing to be filled from both units; the trio of returning specialists is considered a lock by Arrowhead Pride.
If you jumped at the chance to reject the idea of fourth-year defensive end, former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah being a lock to make the team, consider the wilderness that is the depth after listing him as the fourth-string player. That spot will need to contribute to the starting defense throughout the season, and right now, the organization doesn’t have another option, making it difficult to afford cutting ties with someone as familiar with the system as Anudike-Uzomah is.
There will be an interesting mix of players competing to make up for lost snaps from the Chiefs’ long-time third linebacker: Leo Chenal. Cooper McDonald was a standout on special teams last season, but he still has more to prove, along with last year’s fifth-round pick, Jeffrey Bassa, to be considered a lock for the roster at this point.
Kansas City signed cornerback L’Jarius Sneed during OTAs, signaling the loaded competition that will take place in the secondary. It’s hard to know who to feel strongly about outside of recent draft picks and Gilman, the veteran free agent who signed a three-year contract this spring.
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