NFL free agency comes in waves. Some of the waves this offseason are proving rather unpredictable.
The expectation each offseason is that the frenzy that defines the start of the new league year typically features the most desirable free agent targets flying off the shelves at the sort of speeds reserved for panic buyers of toilet paper during a global pandemic. The same was true this year and it will be that way going forward. But some targets seem oddly placed.
Turk Wharton was one of the first defensive linemen to find a new home in free agency, and that much was anticipated given his breakout season with the Chiefs. Wharton secured the bag, as they say, and earned generational money from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for his best efforts over the next three seasons.
Other defensive linemen were snatched up at the same time and near the same rate. Jonathan Allen, Osa Odighizuwa, Javon Hargrave, D.J. Jones, and B.J. Hill all have nice new deals. Even Grady Jarrett was released and picked back up in record time to join the frenzy.
Charles Omenihu’s availability is a bit of a head-scratcher in free agency.
Through it all, Charles Omenihu has to be wondering what went wrong.
Things got really upside down in free agency over the last couple of days when the Chiefs agreed to terms on a one-year deal with journeyman tackle Jerry Tillery. Meanwhile, Derrick Nnadi left Kansas City to continue his career with the New York Jets. As we said, the waves this year are a bit unpredictable.
That’s not intended to serve as a slight toward Nnadi or Tillery. The former was a lauded civic hero and strong team leader who spent 7 years with K.C. as a nice run-stopping piece up front. Tillery hopes to provide a decent push in the heart of the defense in his third stop in the AFC West in 2025. But neither player comes close to what Omenihu can accomplish on the field.
If the lesser options are the ones left on the shelves of free agency after the first week or two, then it feels silly to see Omenihu’s name still available. Perhaps this is his own doing. Maybe there’s a disconnect between his perceived value and what the market would really dictate. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a player was rather stubborn and took a principled stand while unemployed.
But typically when a team and player are at a stalemate, rumors begin to leak to get one side or the other to move. We’ve heard no such things on social media. Instead, it’s been radio silence regarding Omenihu, which is odd for a player with such an obvious positive impact on the Chiefs’ pass rush in recent years.
Omenihu’s proven penchant for making game-altering plays in the biggest games on the schedule should be enough for some teams to come calling for his services. He’s versatile enough to play inside and outside. Even more, he should be healthier than ever in 2025 as he’s further from a season-ending injury that robbed him of a Super Bowl LVIII appearance.
