Among the many moves that the Kansas City Chiefs have made so far in free agency, the changes in the secondary are some of the most impactful. Justin Reid is gone and Kristian Fulton has arrived, though the team already had a strong foundation built on excellent drafting in recent years.
From Jaylen Watson to Bryan Cook to Jaden Hicks and beyond, general manager Brett Veach has done a great job of identifying talent in mid-to-late rounds and letting defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo work his magic.
One of those valuable additions was Nazeeh Johnson, who has become a valuable special teams contributor and occasional defensive starter. Unfortunately, he struggled mightily in 2024 and was maligned by fans. The organization still believes in him though and has officially brought him back in free agency.
Chiefs Kingdom, help us welcome back @JohnsonNazeeh! pic.twitter.com/ZuJQ1Qm4P1
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) March 27, 2025
Chiefs Re-Sign CB Nazeeh Johnson After Free Agency Tender
In a post released by the franchise’s X account itself, Kansas City revealed that Johnson is officially back. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll make the 53-man roster given some of the other additions, though it does indicate that the coaching staff likes him enough to give him a shot in training camp.
Johnson appeared in 16 games last season, starting four while playing 40% of special teams snaps. He’ll likely compete with Joshua Williams and any incoming rookie for spots at the end of the cornerback depth chart, and he’s seemingly ahead of at least Williams at this stage.
That said, the front office would hope to improve his production. Johnson ranked 165th out of 222 qualified cornerbacks at Pro Football Focus, surrendering a 107.7 passer rating when targeted in coverage. He was routinely singled out by opposing teams, giving up chunk gains with regularity in frustrating fashion.
He’s still only 26 years old though, entering his fourth season. For a seventh-round pick, that’s impressive. By keeping him around, it’s clear that Kansas City believes in him.
Hopefully, Johnson can deliver on that belief.
