The Kansas City Chiefs had a fairly active 2025 NFL free agency period.
Between retaining their own players and signing new talent to their 90-man offseason roster, they’ve made over a dozen different moves. But what about the moves they didn’t make or the ones they couldn’t close? We’re beginning to learn more about Chiefs GM Brett Veach’s free agency interests, and not just the hypothetical ones (Baltimore Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley).

As it turns out, Kansas City’s defensive free agency could have been much different. The team apparently wanted to retain one of its own defensive backs and reunite with a player who started his NFL career with the Chiefs.
Chiefs were ‘in the running’ to re-sign S Justin Reid, but didn’t make his final three teams
Trey Smith and Nick Bolton weren’t the only players the Chiefs attempted to keep from the free agent market. During his introductory press conference with the New Orleans Saints, Justin Reid revealed that Kansas City was in the running to retain him.

“They actually were,” Reid told reporters. “They were in the running for a while. That connection, I still love Kansas City and the culture there. So proud of everything that I did there the last three years. There comes times in this business, even if both sides want something, there just isn’t a match that can happen in a scenario. So, there’s no animosity, there’s nothing negative I would say about them or that I believe they’d say about me. It’s just about where situations end up at a place and time.”

Ultimately, the Chiefs couldn’t keep up with the competition for Reid’s services on the open market in free agency. He decided to join the Saints because they made the best contract offer and because he knew that it’d bring him back to Louisiana, where he’s originally from.

“There was a couple of other teams in the mix,” Reid said. “I talked to seven or eight of them. Then it came down to the wire. . . it was between Philly, Tennessee, or here (New Orleans). It just made too much sense to come here.”

What does this say about the Chiefs’ view of safety as one of their needs heading into the 2025 NFL draft? I’d wager they might look to make an addition before or during the draft.

The Chiefs made a ‘real run’ at bringing back CB Charvarius Ward
According to the MMQB’s Albert Breer, Kristian Fulton was “Plan B” at cornerback for Kansas City. He casually dropped a nugget about the Chiefs making a real run at bringing back CB Charvarius Ward, the former Brett Veach trade acquisition who left K.C. to join the San Francisco 49ers in free agency in 2022.

Ward signed a three-year contract worth $54 million with the Indianapolis Colts. A few things probably weighed into the decision, including Ward getting a fresh start after a personal tragedy in San Francisco. However, I question whether the three-year term was something Kansas City considered here, which would tie them to Ward through his age 32 season. Ward, Vikings CB Byron Murphy, Patriots CB Carlton Davis, and Giants CB Paulsen Adebo all signed virtually the same deal in free agency. Fulton’s contract came in under that on a two-year deal worth $20 million and just $15 million in guaranteed money.
Sometimes, the deals you don’t do in free agency lead to a better deal with a different player. Hopefully, that’s the case with this one.