The Kansas City Chiefs made another free agency pick up, bringing back safety Mike Edwards on a one year deal for the 2025 campaign. Edwards will be in his second stint with the franchise, having been apart of the Chiefs 2023-24 campaign.
Edwards was very strong in his one and only year in Kansas City, as he made the transition from Tampa Bay nicely. Playing in a full 17 games, Edwards collected 51 total tackles, 32 of which were solos, had one quarterback sack, and defended five passes.
Since his Kansas City departure however, the level of production for the safety Edwards has decreased. Last season, as part of both the Buffalo Bills and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Edwards collected 12 total tackles and one pass defended in eight games (three with Buffalo, five with Tampa Bay).
Reunion: Veteran safety Mike Edwards is signing with the #Chiefs on a one-year deal, per source. Back with the team he won a Super Bowl with two years ago. pic.twitter.com/LovYMPNBax
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 3, 2025
Last season was definitely off-color for Edwards, given the amount of success he had had in his NFL career up to that point. The two time Super Bowl champion was averaging 53.5 total tackles, 31 solo tackles, and just over five passes defended through his first four years in the league.
There is still a strong player in Edwards, or the Chiefs wouldn’t have thought about bringing him back. The addition will also give Edwards the chance to play with young Chief safety’s in Jaden Hicks and Bryan Cook; allowing them to pick his brain on what has worked for him throughout his career.
According to PFF.com, in his eight games last season, Edwards was an above average defender, earning an overall grade of 72. What really stood out in his game last season was his run defense, as he ranked 12th in PFF standards compared to the other 171 qualified safety’s.
While its likely the Chiefs stick with Hicks as their primary strong safety, Edwards gives the depth a huge boost in the right direction. After falling short last season to the main goal of winning the Super Bowl, the Chiefs as a franchise made a strong investment in bringing back a player who has shown them he can be successful donning the Chiefs uniform.
