Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis is one of the better pass rushers in the NFL, if not a bit underrated.
Karlaftis has racked up 24.5 sacks throughout the first three seasons of his career, and could quickly shoot up to the top 6 of the Chiefs’ all-time sacks leaders in the next few years.
Karlaftis joined FS1’s “Speak” on Thursday to discuss a variety of topics. Among them was quarterbacks that he looks forward to try to sack each season, and he revealed the one he badly wanted to take down during his rookie year but was unable to.
“My rookie year we played the Tampa Bay (Buccaneers), and that was Tom Brady’s last year,” Karlaftis said. “I really wanted to get him more than anything, [but] I didn’t. Tom Brady was the one guy that I really wanted to get. The guys I want to get now are the younger guys that are the up-and-coming stars. First of all, they don’t ask how, they ask how many, when it comes to sacks. You always want to sack those quarterbacks that are pretty elusive, that can move with their feet. I’ve gotten Josh (Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen), I’ve gotten Lamar (Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson). That kid (Washington Commanders QB) Jayden Daniels, he’s a good player and we play them this year, So it’d be great to get somebody like him. Any of those young cats that are really proving their worth right now in the league.”
Beyond the ones Karlaftis mentioned, other great QBs the Chiefs will face in 2025 include Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, and Jared Goff. That’s going to be a tall task for K.C.’s defense, but Karlaftis could be in for a career year if he registers sacks on many of those great QBs.
Karlaftis is now eligible for a contract extension, so putting together the best season of his career in 2025 would earn him a lot of money. The Chiefs picked up his fifth-year option during the offseason, but could extend him at any time. On the flip side, they could let him play out the remaining two years on his current contract and wait until the 2027 offseason to decide if they want to keep him in K.C. long-term.
