The Chiefs are looking for Jeffrey Bassa to take on a much bigger load in 2026, and the second-year linebacker sounds like a player who knows exactly what that opportunity demands.
With Leo Chenal gone in free agency to the Washington Commanders on a three-year deal, Kansas City has a hole to fill in its linebacker room. That opens the door for younger players to absorb more reps, and Bassa stands out as one of the clearest candidates after the Oregon product arrived as a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bassa said Tuesday after practice that the jump from his rookie season to now has been about more than just time in the building. It has meant getting deeper into the defense, building confidence and being able to handle the communication that comes with a larger role.
"I take a lot of pride in my football IQ and being able to come into a system and learn the defense and learn the fundamentals and learn the basis," he said. "Just going from year one to year two, that's a lot from just a developmental standpoint. They're depending on you to really go into that full offseason and really sit down by yourself and get into the depths of the playbook and learn that by yourself, to be able to come back and know what you are doing confidently and be able to communicate out there."
That learning curve showed up in the box score last season. Bassa played in all 17 games, but his role was almost entirely on special teams, and he logged only 39 defensive snaps. He’s still early in the process, much like fellow second-year linebacker Cooper McDonald, but that experience also gives Kansas City some flexibility with how it can use him.
"Sometimes you're going to be asked to see what you can do with the 1s, see what you can do with the 2s. So you really just have to be a pro and attack everything with everything you've got," he said. "Even if you're out there on the scout team, you've still got to go out there and work on your footwork and your fundamentals."
Bassa also drew praise during the evaluation process before he got to Kansas City. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote, "Bassa (who wore the green dot for the Ducks in 2024) needs to turn the “almost” plays into more steady production, but he does everything well on the football field and can become an NFL starter with improved consistency. His football arrow is pointing up."
There’s room for more snaps in the Chiefs’ linebacker group, and that could become even more important if Drue Tranquill’s back spasms turn into a regular-season issue. For now, Kansas City is counting on Bassa and others to help cover the loss of Chenal, and the 23-year-old sounds prepared for whatever comes next.
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