The Chiefs made plenty of moves this offseason, but there’s still a familiar feeling hanging over Kansas City: they could have done more. That’s the price of living in the Super Bowl contender lane. Big money gets tied up fast, and even when the front office adds pieces like Kenneth Walker and Kader Kohou, there are always a few names fans circle back to.
And in this case, the conversation turns to former Chiefs who got away.
Leo Chenal is the one that stings the most. Kansas City found him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin, and he wasted no time making himself useful.
He was impactful early, and there was even a strong argument that he should have been Super Bowl 58 MVP for what he did in that game. But the Chiefs didn’t keep him, and the Commanders made sure he didn’t stay available for long.
Chenal landed a three-year deal worth $24.75 million, and while nobody’s mad that he got paid, Kansas City is going to feel his absence on defense and on special teams.
Robert Tonyan is a different kind of miss, but it still belongs in the conversation. The Chiefs haven’t really done anything at tight end, and Tonyan at least offered a case for value.
He’s not a flashy addition, and the coaches may not have leaned on him heavily, but he’s more proven in an NFL offense than Jared Wiley, who hasn’t shown much through two seasons. Kansas City still has Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, and Wiley at the top of the depth chart, but all three are a year older now, and Tonyan brings something Wiley doesn’t: he’s the best blocker of the group.
Tonyan is in Pittsburgh now, and while he won’t be the headliner there, the Chiefs may still end up wishing they had kept him around.
Kareem Hunt is the one name that isn’t fully closed off yet. He remains a free agent, so Kansas City could still circle back if it wants to.
If that happens, nobody in Chiefs Kingdom is going to complain. The team already added Kenneth Walker, Emari Demercado, and rookie Emmett Johnson, but Hunt still brings familiarity with the offense and has worked with Eric Bieniemy before.
He’s not the back he was as a rookie or sophomore, but he’s shown enough in recent years to suggest he still has something left. If the Chiefs don’t bring him back at some point this summer or after the season starts, they may regret not having another running back on hand who already knows the system.
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Carolina has not offered a firm timetable for his return, which leaves his status hanging over the team as it looks ahead to 2026. Even beyond the rehab process, there is a longer-term roster question waiting in 2027, when the Panthers will have to decide whether Wharton still fits their plans or whether the contract gives them a cleaner way out. [Read more 🡒]
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Chiefs Insider Pushes Back As Kelce Wedding Rumors Spiral
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Hunt also praised the vows as beautiful and took aim at the way false information can spread once a high-profile event becomes public conversation. Former NFL player Greg Olsen added his own positive account of the private, phone-free gathering, describing a relaxed atmosphere and a guest list that fit the moment, even as the rumor mill kept working overtime. [Read more 🡒]