Chiefs Make ‘Surprise’ Move, Release Veteran Safety at Roster Cuts
Roster cutdowns around the NFL are ramping up ahead of August 26’s 4:00 p.m. ET deadline. All 32 teams are hard at work whittling their rosters down to 53 players, and the Kansas City Chiefs are no different.
The reigning AFC champions are making a surprise decision, though. According to a Tuesday morning report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, safety Mike Edwards is being released.
https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1960310194061164998
Chiefs Parting Ways With Veteran Safety Mike Edwards
That makes for a short-lived reunion for Edwards, who re-signed with the Chiefs back in April. Because he’s a vested veteran with six accrued seasons, he won’t be subject to waivers. Once the release is processed, he’ll be free to either re-sign with Kansas City’s practice squad or join another club’s active roster.
Edwards, a two-time Super Bowl champ, first joined the Chiefs for the 2023-24 season. Playing in all 17 regular-season games, he recorded 51 tackles (2 for loss) with 5 passes broken up. He also notched a pair of fumble recoveries — one for a touchdown — and an interception in the process.
Last year, Edwards split time with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In eight games, he played all of 191 defensive snaps. After electing free agency in March, he then made the decision to come back to the Chiefs. He recorded four tackles in 40 preseason snaps during the month of August.
Speaking to the media during training camp, Edwards revealed why he chose Kansas City again.
“I mean, look at the organization,” Edwards said. “Anybody would be excited to play for this organization, so any time I get a chance to play here, I mean, I love it. My one year I was here — sadly enough, I had to go away. I went away, but [I’m] glad to be back. And like I said, it’s a big thing being a part of the Chiefs, so I love being here.”
Following the Chiefs’ preseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Andy Reid revealed that Edwards suffered a hamstring injury. He sat out of the finale versus the Chicago Bears.
According to Over The Cap, Kansas City saves $697,500 against the salary cap while incurring a $500,000 dead charge.
Updated Look at Kansas City’s Safety Picture Post-Edwards Release
Under normal circumstances, the Edwards release wouldn’t be too big a deal. This isn’t a normal Chiefs safety room, though, entering the 2025-26 campaign.
First and foremost, veteran Justin Reid is no longer with the organization. The 28-year-old departed for the New Orleans Saints in free agency, leaving a new dynamic behind in Kansas City. Secondly, Deon Bush‘s season was over before it truly even began. He suffered a torn Achilles in the preseason opener versus the Arizona Cardinals. That combination of developments seemingly left room for Edwards to make the team.
Instead, the Chiefs will still roll with their previously-expected starting duo of Jaden Hicks and Bryan Cook. Hicks, a fourth-round pick last year, is facing high expectations heading into the fall. Cook, a 2022 second-round pick, is in a contract year. Behind that tandem, Chamarri Conner may slide back to more of a traditional safety role after being primarily a slot corner in 2024. That remains to be seen.
Perhaps the true position of Chris Roland-Wallace is safety. He has experience there at both the collegiate and professional levels. Kansas City also has a multitude of options at cornerback, so him being listed at safety could preserve his roster spot. That’s about the only way to justify punting on the chance for Edwards to be the No. 4 man on the depth chart.
